Black Ice
by Mizuki Gesshu
Summary: A girl named Mizuki strangely has the same past as Sasuke. Clan massacred, depressed and wants to kill her older brother. But, how do they differ? Summary sucks, but the story is okay! Rated T for disturbing sights. NO lemon. NaruxOC or SasuxOC
1. Chapter 1

A/N:

Little Sasuke: Hey guys! Author-chan does not own Naruto, or anything about it. All she owns is her OC, Gesshu Mizuki! ^w^ Was that good Author-chan?

Author-chan: Hai, Sasuke-kun!

Chapter One

Death

A young girl, the age of six, skipped home, a package clutched tightly in her small arms. Because it was her birthday, she had gone to her best and only friend Hinata Hyugga's house to celebrate. Hinata had begun to stop playing with Mizuki recently - she was coming of age and her father wanted her to make their family name proud - but finally, Hinata got a break from studying and was able to host Mizuki's six year old birthday party. In the meantime, her Clan, The Gesshu's, tended to private matters. The Gesshu clan was famous for their Kekkei Genkai, which had roughly about 8 stages. She had heard stories about how no one achieved the 8th level, and other stories about how amazing ninja's they were. Mizuki actually should be receiving that this year, and she was really excited about it.

Now, Mizuki had finally reached the gates, eager to get home and play with her younger sisters, Mai and Jade. They were twins and the sweetest things ever. They would play with dolls together, play tag, and everything! It was amazing to her that their first words were not 'momma' or 'daddy', but instead, they were 'Onee-chan!' Surprisingly, the guards that usually watched the gates weren't at their station, but Mizuki, took no notice. She would be able to play with Kannon and Botan later.

The young girl – sadly - didn't see one pair of feet sticking out from a nearby bush, blood pooling around it. She shrugged off the odd sensation in the pit of her stomach and continued on. The place was eerily quiet, and shivers ran down Mizuki's spine, making her jump every time a leaf brushed her skin. When she reached the first shop she gasped and a blood-curling screamed slipped from her thin rosy lips. For there, lying in a pool of blood was the shop owner, and her aunt. Tears sprang forth and fell down her cheeks. She backed away slowly and turned, looking at the next shop, and the next shop and the next and the next and the next.

All things were the same.

Store owners were all hung or stabbed, fear etched on their lifeless faces. Villagers were also dead, either spread-eagled on the ground or face forward in their food. The only thing that made her look at every face, into every shop, was the thought of her immediate family: Her mom, dad, sisters, and older brother, Ryou. She didn't know what she would do if she saw them dead, face down in the dirt or laid against the wall, blood around them.

Finally she reached her house and she entered, tears coming more and more as she took in each room. Signs of struggle jumped out at her. Rooms were trashed, sheets were torn, and the rice paper doors ripped. As she came to the last room, she dreaded the thought of seeing her family. What if they were dead? What if they were being slaughtered right now? Suddenly, a noise that would haunt the girl forever echoed across the room inside. For the first time, she heard her mother scream out in pure agony. Fumbling with the paper thin door, she threw it open, eyes scanning wildly. Her heart broke. Falling to her knees, she let her vision be clouded with the never ending stream of tears that ran down her red cheeks.

She didn't want to look, but she couldn't dare look away. Mizuki screamed in horror, the sight finally being forced upon her. Her mom had a kunai in her stomach, laid down sideways beside her father who  
>had tons of needles poking out of his flesh. But the two things that got her the most were one, her sisters were facing her, hung from the ceiling, eyes bulging and shin deathly white, mouth opened wide in a silent scream. And two, her brother stood in the middle of the room… smiling. Smiling? <span>Smiling.<span>

"Onii-chan, what's going on? D-did you do this?" Mizuki whispered, though she already knew the answer.

"Of course I did, you dim-witted little maggot," He growled, looking up at her and smirking.

She stumbled to her feet and backed up as he walked forward, swallowing the lump in her throat. She continuously backed up until he bumped against the wall, glancing up at her brother. He smirked and leaned down towards her, grabbing her neck and lifting her up the wall. His brown eyes looked into her blue ones, tearing a hole in her heart with just that look that could never be fixed. She struggled to breathe, thrashing around in her brother's iron grip.

She felt so betrayed.

"I hate you, Mizuki, I've always hated you. You a worthless piece of shit just like the rest of the Gesshu Clan. I would gladly kill you, but what fun would that be? No, I want you to become stronger, and seek me out to kill. I'll be waiting… But please don't take your time, I'm not very patient." He said laughing demonically before vanishing.

Mizuki fell to the ground, her little chubby fingers wrapping gingerly around her neck and gulping in lungfulls of air. A dark purple ring was now around her neck and it hurt just to brush her fingers on it. After ten minutes, it finally sunk in. She had no one. Even though her clan hated her somewhat, they shouldn't have died like this. She raised her head up to the heavens and screamed. Once. Twice. Three times. Again and again until her throat was raw and hoarse. She crawled over to her mother and father, dragging them close and wrapping their cold lifeless arms around. She couldn't even look up at Mai and Jane, she didn't think she would be able to take it if she saw them once again, swaying in the breezeless room. She stared blankly ahead until she cried herself to sleep, often waking up and believing that they were still alive. Finally she passed out for good out of exhaustion and depression.

* * *

><p>Two lone figures stood by the foot of a hospital bed, looking down at the sleeping body that was the Gesshu Prodigy. Here laid the last female from the most powerful Clan, and there was a similar situation not too far away. Was this planned? It was strange and eerily coincidental for the two best Clans in all of the Countries to be wiped out back to back. Was there a hidden purpose behind this? It seemed likely. The first figure reached up and tucked a lock of blonde hair behind her ear, looking up at the younger man with silver hair.<p>

"Do you think these Massacre's are connected?" she asked the man, her light chocolate eyes looking up into his black one.

The man sighed, closing his book and putting it back into his pouch. Looking down at her, he nodded. "I do. There's no reason _not _to suspect a connection. The two best Clans, wiped out in two days? It's unheard of. There must have been a large group of people that conspired together to wipe them out, using the two older males, Uchiha Itachi and Gesshu Ryou to put it into action. What I'm wondering is why would they betray their own Clan?"

The woman was surprised. She had never heard him talk that much – well, about his thoughts, that is. Recovering instantly from her shock, she nodded, agreeing with him completely. "Do you think they may have used mind trickery? The two went on an Anbu mission together and when they returned, they often requested to go on missions alone together. How could suspicion not have raised sooner?"

She was truly shocked that she had been so stupid as to not realize that there was something behind the faces of the two amazilngly skilled males.

"Don't worry too much about it. No one could have known." A new voice spoke, sounding wise and filled with practice.

The silver-haired man turned his eye to look back, turning the rest of his body and bowing when he saw who it was.

"Lord Hokage." He simply said, coming up from his bow.

The female, who had also bowed, got back up, lifting her Anbu mask off. It was hot and stuffy when she wasn't moving around, and she wanted to take it off anyways. Placing the mask inside her jacket, she was able to look more closely at the small girl.

It was a truly sad sight to see.

She was curled up in a ball, her short black hair falling over her face and covering her eyes, which were leaking tears. Reaching down, she wiped some of her tears away with her thumb and rubbed her back soothingly, petting her hair and sighing. The little girl seemed to relax into he touch, her labored breathing becoming easier. _I wish I had a daughter._ She thought, though knowing that she wouldn't be able to take the girl in. With all of her Anbu missions and other things, it would be impossible for her to take care of a child. Plus, she would be off traveling soon, with her secretary – or whatever you call her. Friend, if you must. But to her, she's just a parent that keeps her from drinking too much sake.

"Kakashi. Tsunade." The Hokage spoke again, looking over them with a gaze that seemed like he could see right through you. Walking around the bed, he leaned against the wall, looking up at the ceiling. "Jiraiya, you can come out now as well." He said, not even blinking when another figure joined the small group, leaning on the wall beside Mizuki's bed-side.

_What was he doing up there? The creep! _Tsunade thought angrily, shaking her head in disgust. He annoyed her… And yet…

"Back to the matter at hand, let's work on the most pressing issues. Where are the two children, Uchiha Sasuke and Gesshu Mizuki, going to live? We can't just put them with another family, I have a feeling that they won't like that. And we can't put them together, because it might upset the Village Elders." Jiraiya said, trying to calm the anger that was coming off of Tsunade in waves.

She always got mad at him for the little things.

"They will have to stay alone, under my watchful eye. I already watch Uzumaki Naruto, so this won't be a problem Understood?" Lord Hokage mused out loud and then nodded to himself.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." They said simultaneously.

"Now, we'll go and take another look at the two Clan's for more clues. Do. Not. Move. Anything. Everything will stay the same, except for the bodies. We'll hold the funeral later on in the month. Understood?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Good. Finally, I want you to let Mizuki out when she wakes up. She's been emotionally damaged, and we don't know how she'll react, so monitor her progress and then you may release her. Dismissed."

And with that, they all disappeared, leaving nothing but the shadows to close in on the small, destroyed girl.

Mizuki's P.O.V

I woke up to the rays of sun beating upon me face. I slowly sat up, wondering why I was here. But then, everything came crashing back and I looked down. I shoved my face in my pillow, sobbing. Flashes of dead bodies, blood and my brother went through my mind. Why would he do such a thing? Why would he do that to his own _family?_ Pinching her little fists into the pillow, she was unaware of the several pairs of eyes, watching her.

_What reason is there to life now?_ I though sadly, _Everyone I love is dead – excluding Hinata –how am I supposed to stay happy and keep everything that everyone says to me out of my mind and heart? HOW? _

_**To avenge their deaths… Don't fight your feelings… Embrace them. Take them in and give them a home in your heart**_. A soothing, yet very high pitched voice commented in my head. I nodded slightly. I was going to become stronger, hunt down my brother, and get to the bottom of this.

A nurse walked in, carrying a clipboard and a pen. She approached me, and checked some stuff I didn't know the half of, scribbling down notes.

"How ya doing, honey?" She said softly, removing the IV in my arm.

I just looked at her, my once blue eyes a deep green. My Molani – or my Kekki Genkai - had come that night, and she seemed to be moving in slow motion. I needed to get out… This was suffocating. Staying here was making me sick… Which was a bit strange since I was in a hospital. Their supposed to make you better, right?

"Can I leave?" I said apathetically, glaring at the wall behind her and shifting uncomfortably.

She nodded sadly without another word and I quickly stood up, not bothering with the door, and jumped out the open window. _I will get stronger… I promise._


	2. Chapter 2

Black Ice Chapter Two

The Academy

_Beep beep beep beep._ I woke up once again to the annoying beep of the alarm clock. Slamming my fist onto the off button, I got up, adding a couple extra weights to my arms and legs before doing my regular morning routine. I walked downstairs into the kitchen, grabbing an apple and walked out the door, not bothering to lock it. I walked carelessly down the streets, ignoring glares and catcalls. When I reached the academy I threw my apple core into the trashcan, opening the doors and nodding to a couple teachers. I walked into the appropriate room looked around for a seat, avoiding Hinata's gaze as she glanced at me for the millionth time this year. I got a seat in the middle and by the window, tuning out the things going on around me. Sasuke Uchiha, a raven haired and onyx-eyed boy and the second best in the class sat two rows above me, also ignoring everything.

I could vaguely remember seeing him in the past, when I would visit his Clan with my dad and older brother… I think that I h-

"Move it, Ino-Pig! I made it here a centimeter before you so I get to sit by Sasuke!" A loud and obnoxious voice boomed, interrupting my thought process.

"No way, Billboard-Brow! Everyone can clearly see that my foot touched the line before yours! So I get to sit by Sasuke!" An equally annoying voice yelled back.

Ugh, it was like this every day! People fighting over who gets to sit by who! I rubbed my temples and watched as Haruno Sakura ran up the steps, bumping a hopeful Uzumaki Naruto out the way. Yamanaka Ino quickly followed, not wanting to let Sakura beat her to Sasuke.

"Sasuke…!" Naruto growled, getting up on all fours on the top of his seat and glaring at Sasuke, who was one row above him.

I raised an eyebrow and smirked when a pineapple-headed who went by Nara Shikamaru I believe stood up, bumping Naruto who fell forwards and…kissed Sasuke? The boys and non fan girls erupted in enormous laughter, pointing and wiping tears out of their eyes. Fan girls growled and cracked their knuckles, advancing on Naruto. After Naruto got pummeled into a bloody pulp, Iruka-sensei walked in and went to his desk, sitting down and looking over some papers.

"Ah yes! Class, today, as you know, we are holding Graduating Exams. When I call your name, please come into the room beside this one and kindly produce at least three shadow clones. " Iruka-sensei began.

"NOOO!" Naruto groaned, smacking his head repeatedly on the desk.

Iruka-sensei simply ignored him. "If you pass, please report here at the usual time tomorrow and wear your headbands. First is Shino Aburame"

A boy with a high white cloak and black, round glasses got up and followed Iruka-sensei out of the room. After ten minutes went by, Iruka-sensei appeared again and again and again, until finally it was my turn. I got up and walked out after him into a room. It was plain, just a long table with two people sitting behind it, and a sheet of paper in front of them.

"Now, Mizuki, could you please produce three clones?" Iruka-sensei said, watching me.

I made the correct hand signs and three clones appeared.

"Congratulations, Mizuki-chan, you pass!" Iruka-sensei exclaimed, beaming and passing me a Leaf Headband.

I tied it around my neck, walking out an exit door at the side. I jumped in a tree, talking out my ninja jutsu making book and making a few notes. A half an hour later my stomach growled. Sighing, I stood up and made my way over to Ichiraku Ramen. As I approached the small fast food place I glanced up at the sun, walking in below the curtain and sitting on a bar stool.

"Hey, old man, I would like two Miso ramen please." I said, breathing in the heavenly scent of the food.

After a second of looking at me he turned to make the meal. In the mean time I watched Naruto devour his 12th bowl_. Wow, that boy's got one heck of a stomach_. I thought, and he turned to another bowl, practically inhaling it.

"Here you go Mizuki, two Miso ramen. You enjoy it now…" Ichiraku said turning to tend to another customer.

I opened my chopsticks and dug in. I always had a soft spot for this food; it was always so darn good. After I finished I paid and headed to the training grounds to, well, obviously train. _Okay,_ I thought, glaring at a tree, I _have to hit five kunai on the tree: one in the center, one above it, one below it and two to the opposite sides of it, and if I don't I will…run twenty-five laps around the village, and add a total amount of twenty to my legs and arms…seems fair enough_. I reached into my kunai pouch and got out five kunai, twirling them. I got into my stance and swung my arms, letting go when I thought I should. I got 4 out of 5...time to go run. I got more weights from the store and ran, my focus only on how my feet sounded as they pounded against the ground. When I finished I was breathing hard, sweaty, thirsty and exhausted. I walked home and did my night routine, climbing into bed and falling asleep when my head hit the pillow.

The next morning everything was the same. I walked to the academy and sat down, waiting for Iruka-sensei to show up. When he did I didn't notice because I was staring blankly out the window, watching the sun.

"-and now I will inform you what team you are on," said Iruka-sensei, taking out a sheet of paper and reading it aloud for us. Finally he got to my name, "Team 7: Haruno Sakura, Gesshu Mizuki, Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke."

_%&$^&%*_, I thought growling at Iruka-sensei. _Why did I have to be on such a loser team like this_? _WHY IRUKA-SENSE? WHY!_

"Hey, hey Iruka-sensei?" Naruto said, jumping up in his seat and pointing at Sasuke, "Why do I have to be stuck with a loser like Sasuke?"

"Because, Naruto," Iruka-sensei growled, clutching his paper more tightly, "Sasuke had the highest scores, and you, well you had the lowest."

Everyone laughed and Naruto turned pink, turning away from prying eyes.

"Now, you may go eat lunch and meet back here afterwards to meet your new sensei. For the most part I have enjoyed having you. Good-bye!"

I got up and walked out the door, having no intention to mingle. I jumped into a tree and took out my lunch, eating silently and working on my jutsus. When lunch was over I made my way inside, noticing Naruto and Sasuke glaring at each other harder than before. Our 'team' sat together and I turned to the window, ignoring them. After two freaking hours of waiting the door opened and an eraser that I guess Naruto put up flew down and landed with a _plop!_on a spiky set of gray hair. A man with a mask covering his nose and down and his headband pulled down to cover one eye, entered.

"The first impression I get on you guys is...I hate you all!" He said in a dark tone, making us sweat drop. "Well, why don't we go to the roof and get to know each other?"

Why does it seem like I've seen him before?


	3. Chapter 3

Black Ice Chapter 3

_Kakashi's Training_

"Okay, to get to know each other, why don't we do introductions? Say your name, hobbies, likes, dislikes, and your dreams!" Our new sensei chirped happily.

After the little episode in the classroom, we had made our way up to the roof to talk, and now our new sensei was leaning against the wall. Sakura was sitting close to Sasuke, and Naruto sat close to Sakura as I sat by Sasuke. He was the only tolerable one on the whole team.

"Why don't you tell us about yourself first?" Sakura asked glancing at Sasuke, who wasn't even looking at her. He was glaring at the wall.

"Okayyyyyy….Well, I'm Kakashi Hatake, and I like to read. I don't hate anything really, I like other things. I don't feel like telling you my hobbies and…dreams? Haven't really thought of that….." Kakashi-sensei said, tapping his chin.

"All he said really was is name and he likes to read…" Sakura whispered.

"Okay!" Kakashi-sensei said, obviously not hearing a thing Sakura said "You! Why don't you go first?"

Naruto messed with his headband and smiled wide, opening his mouth to speak since Kakashi-sensei pointed at him, "Hi! I'm Naruto Uzumaki! I like-no love Ramen! I hate the three minutes it takes for the ramen to be made. My hobby is to eat and compare ramen. My dream is to be the next and greatest Hokage! Then, people will respect and look up to me! Believe it!"

As Naruto messed with his headband more, I glared at him dully. Kakashi-sensei smiles slightly and pointed to Sakura who giggles and glanced at Sasuke.

"I'm Sakura Haruno! I like, well, who I like is," Sakura then giggled and blushed, looking openly at Sasuke, "my hobbies are…well…." She looks at Sasuke again and blushes deeper, "my dream, well, ummmmmmmm" Sakura blushed really deep as she looked at Sasuke and squealed, "and I _**hate **_Naruto!" She finished, growling at him.

I stared blankly at her and chuckled when I saw Kakashi-sensei make a little disapproving face. He turned to me and interest flickered in his eyes as he pointed at me silently. _I guess I better make this interesting, shouldn't I?_

"My name is Mizuki Gesshu. I like to eat at Ichiraku Ramen, make new jutsus and train, because it gets me one step closer to my goal. I hate mostly everything I guess…My hobbies? Don't have any. Now, my dream. Well, it's going to become a reality…I will avenge my Clan's death and…kill somebody that deserves to be slaughtered in the sickest way possible…then, with nothing else to live for, I will _kill myself_" I said, content with the atmosphere that I had created. As soon as I finished Naruto leaped up and ran over to me, and got in my face.

"WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT? YOU SH-"I cut Naruto off by grabbing his collar and punching him hard in the face, slamming him down on the ground.

The tension could be cut with a knife. I leaned down close to his face and glared at him.

"Do _not_ tell me what I can or can't do. I will choose what I think is best for me and only I WILL. Do not think just because you're my teammate that will change how I feel about you." I growled darkly at him while he struggled to catch his breath. I let go of him and sat back down, sighing.

Kakashi-sensei lazily watched and pointed at Sasuke without commenting on what I just did.

Sasuke sighed and looked up. "I am Sasuke Uchiha. I don't particularly like anything, but I hate most things. I have no hobbies and my dream _**WILL **_become a reality…I will hunt down and kill a certain someone…" he said slowly, hate dripping from every word.

Did he just copy a little of what I just said?

"Well, now that were done with that interesting introduction series, I want to tell you that were having a survival exercise…" Kakashi-sensei said slowly, as if we were dumb.

I was so bored that I just liked up to the sky, a butterfly coming to land on my nose. I watched as it flew away gracefully in the air, so free and so… _happy._

"-Well anyways, tomorrow meet me in the training grounds by the lake at 5:00 sharp, don't be late. Oh yeah…if you don't want to throw up, then don't eat breakfast. See you then!" Kakashi-sensei chirped, giving us and one-eyes smile before poofing away.

I stood up and turned, and without another word walked away. When I arrived home, I took out my justu book and worked on and Earth Style jutsu. After eating a small and quiet dinner, I took a shower and dressed in a flowy white nightgown. Without giving the bed a second glance I jumped out the window and onto the roof.

I sat down and pulled my knees to my chest, wrapping my arms around them and looked up to the sky. The moon was so beautiful…just breath-taking. The wind blew my hair around my face and I just stared hypnotized at the moon. After a few more hours of pretty much gawking at the moon, I walked back into my room, getting a few hours of restless sleep.

The next morning, at 4:30, I got up and got dressed, doing downstairs. I debated on eating an apple even though Kakashi-sensei said not to. _Should I? I don't want to defy what he says on the first little thing we have together…. But I don't wanna be hungry!_ Deciding against it, I turned and went back upstairs to brush my 4:53, I walked out the door, slowly making my way to the training grounds. When I made it, Sasuke and Sakura came thirty seconds later. Ten to fifteen minutes after that Naruto ran over to us, saying he overslept. Three freakin'_ hours_ later, Kakashi-sensei decided it was time to grace us with his presence with an eye closed smile.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura and Naruto yelled at the same time.

"Well, you see, "Kakashi-sensei said, rubbing the back of his neck and chuckling, "A black cat crossed my path and I had to go the longer way!"

"LIAR!"

"Now, now, settle down! I will explain the rules of this survival exercise." Kakashi-sensei pulled out three bells and began to speak but I was tuning him out once again as I traced likes on a tree. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kakashi-sensei stop talking and Naruto run up to him. So fast I could hardly see him, he grabbed Naruto, glared at him.

"Hey, hey, hey! I didn't say you could begin! However, you came at me with an intent to kill… I think I'm starting to like you guys. Now you may begin!" Kakashi-sensei yelled, pushing Naruto back.

I jumped into a tree and watched Naruto stupidly try and take Kakashi-sensei on his own. Knowing what I had to do, I moved over to Sakura and asked her to work with me, which she refused and looked over at a tree as a weapon flew out of it. I jumped quickly up there before Sasuke could go away.

"Hey, Sasuke. If we work together, then maybe we can get a bell, you know, teamwork?" I asked, glancing over at Naruto, who was struggling to get out of a trap.

"What, you can't do it on your own? The great Mizuki Gesshu is helpless? Well I know I can get the bell, I'm stronger than you think!" with that, he leapt out of the tree, throwing another well aimed weapon.

"Idiots… Naruto already got disqualified so I guess I'll have to do this on my own, just like I have to do everything else" I whispered to myself, jumping backwards

I sighed and walked around for a while, trying to find Kakashi-sensei. Finally, I saw Kakashi-sensei pull Sasuke into the ground, so only his head was visible.

"I know I can get the bell, I'm stronger than you think!" I teased him, imitating his voice, maybe exaggerating it a bit.

Growling, he moved a little and I helped him out with an earth style jutsu, turning to Kakashi-sensei

"Since you won't take my help, Sasuke, ill do this on my own!" I yelled, running at Kakashi-sensei.

I pulled out 10 kunai and flung them expertly, jumping high in the sir and flipping, aiming a downwards kick. Kakashi-sensei grabbed it with one hand, still reading his book. I twitched my fingers and the kunai I had thrown earlier lifted up and attacked my sensei. I think I managed to scrape him a bit. I jumped back, dodging a high kick and bent low, kicking outwards. I dodged a blow and leapt in the air, angling myself downwards and punched him…no. He turned into a log…_Crap, _I thought, _a substitution jutsu…_ I closed my eyes and tried to figure out where he was…to the left! A leaf crunched slightly, but I heard it. Timing my attack, I punched outwards quickly, a surprised Kakashi-sensei bending backwards smoothly. Taking advantage of his vulnerability, I punched him and he stumbled back. Checking to make sure he wasn't a substitution, I made hand signs.

"Enough of this! Hidden Art of the Gesshu Clan: Rinimuki!" I yelled, the earth grabbing Kakashi-sensei and holding him still as his eyes widened in disbelief. He would be poisoned if I was serious, but this was just a exercise so I didn't. I lunged forward and my fingers grazed the bell….I curled my fingers around it, hearing Sasuke gasp behind me and started to tug…

_**RIING!**_

"Holy Mother of!" I yelled in anger as Kakashi-sensei broke out my jutsu and breathed in relief, walking towards the lake.

When we got back, Kakashi-sensei stood in front of us, and said, "You guys fail! This exercise was to see your teamwork! Sasuke! You thought you were better than all of your teammates combine so you denied Mizuki's help and failed! Sakura! You were too obsessed with Sasuke to actually see the reason we were actually doing this! Naruto! You just tried to take me head on! That's not what you're supposed to do! Stealth is _key_! Mizuki asked all of you, except Naruto since you already broke the rules, to help but you all denied her. So, she decided to do it on her own! That's where you messed up, Mizuki. You're not supposed to attack by yourself, no matter if people deny your help. You'll still die. I'll give you guys another chance after you eat your lunch. If any of you give your lunch to Naruto...you'll fail." Kakashi then leaves.

While I ate my lunch, I heard a loud grumble. I looked over and saw Naruto, glancing at our food longingly. Turning to him I held my food out, shoving it into his mouth. I looked the other way, my cheeks slightly pink.

"What are you doing? Did you not hear Kakashi-"Sakura was cut off by a dark shadow covering us.

I turned around to see Kakashi-sensei glaring at us evilly. "I told you not to feed him!" He said angrily, glaring at me since I still had my chopsticks in Naruto's mouth.

"Naruto's my _**teammate**_! Even though I don't like him, does not mean I won't treat him like one! I f he didn't eat, the he would have been weak when we fight your again, and that would bring us down!" I yelled, standing up defiantly.

Sakura and Sasuke nodded in agreement.

"You..." he began as we watched him warily, expecting the worse, "...Pass!" Kakashi says with a smile.

"Huh?" everyone says.

Kakashi explains about ninjas being lower than trash because of not helping their friends. Everyone understood and I guess they were happy because we don't have to go back to the academy

"We will start our missions tomorrow!" Kakashi states when we were walking away.

"Hey! What about me?" Naruto shouted while stuck to the log.


	4. Chapter 4

**Black Ice Chapter Four**

**The Mission pt. 1**

"I'm at point A"

"(giggle) I'm at point B"

(pause) "I'M AT POINT C BELEIVE IT!"

"I'm at point D"

"Good," Kakashi-sensei said, pausing dramatically, "move towards the target quickly and capture

it!"

Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and I ran through the trees, cornering our target. I leapt out first and

grabbed it with one hand, using the other to bring my black walkie-talkie to my lips.

"Target acquired," I said as Sasuke and Sakura walked calmly up to me.

Naruto jumped out of a tree, scaring the cute little cat. It jumped out of my arm and onto Naruto,

biting and scratching him wildly.

"Great, now all we need to do is taking him back to the Hokage's office and get a new mission."

Kakashi-sensei said, walking out from the shadow of the trees.

We all turned and started to make our way back to the Hokage Mansion, hearing Naruto screeching behind us with an angry cat still on his face. When we finally heard the Hokage's deep voice claim 'come in' we pushed open the wooden door, stepping into his office and noticing a very plump woman pacing nervously as the Hokage himself smoked his pipe and spoke to Iruka-sensei.

"OH! MY PRECIOUS!" the plump lady exclaimed, launching herself forward and snatching the now scared cat off Naruto, squeezing her and walking out while Naruto chuckled.

"Now, Team 7, you may either babysit, mow Mrs. Jenson's yard or-" Hokage-sama was cut off though.

"NO WAY!" Naruto screeched, holding his arms in front of him in an X position, "THERE IS

NOOOO WAY I AM DOING ANOTHER LOUSY MISSION OLD MAN! I'M A NINJA AND I WANT TO

HAVE A MISSION LIKE ONE!"

Iruka-sensei, who was now fuming, glared at Naruto and yelled, "HOW DARE YOU!" at the same time Sakura growled and punched Naruto in his head, sending him to the ground.

"All genin have had to do these missions for decades! You see..." Hokage-sama went into a long explanation about the ninja world.

"Hey," Naruto said, turning to us while Hokage -sama was ranting, "I was thinking about getting chicken

ramen tonight! What do you think?"

I shook my head, glancing at Hokage-sama before speaking again, "You should get beef, its

better."

"ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?" Hokage-sama yelled.

He sighed and looked at his papers before chuckling.

"Well, I do have a C rank mission you can do... shouldn't be to hard... all you have to do is escort

and protect a person to the Mist Village. Ah! there outside the door now! Come in!"

"REALLY? IS IT A PRINCESS? OR A FEUDAL LORD?" Naruto yelled, bouncing around.

"If it was a princess or feudal lord, would it really be a C- rank mission Naruto?" I asked, staring at him.

He stopped bouncing as a man in his late thirties walked in. He wore a straw hat and a hip flask was attached to his hip, which he uncorked and took a long swig of whatever was in there.

"These are the people who are supposed to protect me? These little kids? Are you kidding me?

Little snot- nosed kids? Especially the short one with the idiotic look on his face!" the man exclaimed, eyeing us with much distaste.

Naruto chuckled and we lined up to see who was the shortest. I was shorter than Sasuke, and

Sakura was shorter than me but taller than Naruto. For a few seconds Naruto just stood there stupidly, letting everything sink in.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Naruto yelled as he lunged at the man.

I stuck out my foot as he started running and he fell on his face, earning a chuckle from Hokage-

sama who spoke again, "Well, this is Tazuna. He is a bridge builder who you will be escorting to the Mist

Village. you will leave tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. Do not be late, and meet at the village gate. Dismissed."

We walked out of the Hokage Mansion and I parted ways with them, heading to m house. I ate dinner and took a shower, packing up my weapons for the next day. Now, it was night time and moonlight leaked through my window. I sighed contently and climbed into bed, falling into a deep dreamless sleep.

The next day I got up did my morning routine, grabbing an apple and heading to the village gates.

When I got there I put my stuff down and jumped in a tree, closing my eyes and eating my apple. Soon, everyone was here and it was time to go. As we walked, I looked up to the sky, deep in thought. I was so deep in thought that I barely avoided stepping in a puddle. _Wait... a puddle? _

Before I could think anymore, two ninja ran in front of Kakashi-sensei, wrapping a chain around him and tearing him to pieces. I gasped slightly and sprung into action. I leapt in the air, kicking a ninja as he lunged for me. I grabbed his arm and spun him when I landed on the ground, letting go.

He sailed into a tree and coughed up blood before passing out. I turned to see one running for Tazuna and Sakura. I leapt in front of her as Sasuke helped a frozen Naruto. I kicked the ninja in the gut and jumped on his back, using my weight to bring him to the ground.

Kakashi-sensei walked out from the trees and I silently groaned. _So he wasn't dead... That sneak._ I looked back up to the sun as Kakashi-sensei and Naruto talked about something.

Eh, I didn't feel like listening.

Soon, Tazuna said something about his grandson and the villagers. Kakashi-sensei sighed and nodded and we kept walking. Soon, we reached a boat and climbed in, trying to be as quiet as possible.

I sighed softly in content as I looked deep into the water. I lay back and let my hand slide gently through the water as the boat made its way along.

I felt myself slowly drifting to sleep, only to be awoken by Naruto screaming, "WOAH! IT'S

HUGE!"

I looked and saw the bridge looming in front of us.

"Quiet. I told you, no noise. Why do you think we're traveling like this? Cutting off the engine and rowing, moving through the dense fog so they can't see us." the boat driver snapped.

The boat reached the pier and I jumped off. Everyone else carefully stepped off.

"That's as far as I go. Good luck," The boat driver said before speeding off.

"Okay, take me to my home and I mean get me there in one piece." Tazuna said.

"Right." Naruto, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi-sensei said.

"Was the plan," I muttered.

We started walking into the forest. Naruto glared at Sasuke before running around in front of us, a kunai in his hand.

He looked around then threw a kunai at the bushes, "Over there!"

"That's it Naruto!" Sakura screamed as she hit him on the head.

"What? Why'd you do that?" Naruto complained, "Someone is following us."

Kakashi walked to the bushes.

"Naruto! Look what you did!" Sakura yelled pointing to the little white and half-dead rabbit.

"Ah!" Naruto screamed.

He ran to the rabbit and hugged it, "I'm sorry little rabbit, I'm sorry." he exclaimed.

"Look out!" Kakashi yelled pushing us to the ground. Suddenly a sword flew towards us but it got stuck in a tree.

"Well, well. If it isn't Zabuza Momochi… rouge ninja from the Villige Hidden in the Mist." He said.

Thick mist began to slowly creep up around us. It made me nervous... an eerie feeling that sent chills down my spine. A dark killing aura was lingering here.

Zabuza...

I was brought out of my thoughts as Sasuke began to tremble, a kunai in his hands. From what I could see, he looked like he wanted to kill himself.

"It's okay, Sasuke" I muttered to him, so no one would hear, "Kakashi-sensei won't let us get hurt."

Suddenly, when Sasuke had just calmed down, Zabuza appeared behind me and in front of

Tazuna, his huge sword with him. I quickly jumped over him, grabbing Tazuna and pulling him to the ground, the sword nearly cutting his head off.

"T-thanks" Tazuna stuttered.

I nodded and turned to see about fifty water clones. I took out ten kunai and smirked, running at them. I cut as many as I could but there was too many. They kept coming back... Fifteen jumped on me, knocking the breath out of me. I growled and pushed them off, but even then it was too late. Three ganged up on me and tied my hands up, dragging me to the lake. I struggled and kicked one; but another and head butted the last one. They disappeared and I sighed.

_Great_, Ithought,_ now I'm on the floor and can't move._

Soon, though, one came up to me and lifted me over its head, tossing me up in the air. I struggled and wiggled in the air, landing with a splat in thewater. My head throbbed as I sank deeper, unable to swim back up because of my hands and legs being tied. I wiggled when I reached the bottom, holding my breath as well as I could.

After ten minutes, though, I started to feel light-headed. I gasped in mouthfuls of water, my vision getting hazy. The last thing I saw before I was pulled under was a hand, reaching towards me.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The Mission pt. 2**

**Naruto's P.O.V**

Struck with horror, I watched as Mizuki's body disappeared into the cold, deep, dark blue water. I fought furiously alongside Sasuke to reach her, but it took my ten minutes to finally break their defenses. I dove into the water, kicking hard to get to her; she was at the bottom of the lake, struggling to hold her breath. When I finally got to her, I reached out my hand to grab her arm. I missed.

Suddenly, she stopped moving. My eyes widened as I grabbed for her arm again. I curled my fingers around it and tugged her up to the surface, breathing deep. She coughed out water before lying still. I swam to the bank and laid her behind a tree, ordering my shadow clones to watch over her as I fought.

"Hey, Sasuke, I have a plan." I said a new found anger in me.

"Oh? So were suddenly using teamwork?" Sasuke replied, smirking, "What's your plan?"

"Let's go wild!"

**Mizuki's P.O.V**

Sounds bounced around my head as I lay down on whatever it was I was on. Painfully, I opened my eyes. Light immediately flooded my vision as I attempted to open my eyes. I closed them again before opening them, adjusting to the light. I looked around, taking in my surroundings. I was on a soft bed with tan walls and a wood floor, a window on the far left. A familiar blond haired ninja sat on the floor, sleeping.

"Naruto?" I questioned hesitantly, sitting up.

His head snapped up and looked over in my direction, relief shown shamelessly on his whiskered face. I coughed slightly, my eyes never leaving his.

"Mizuki! your okay!" he exclaimed, rushing over to me and pulling my into a bone- crushing hug.

I struggled out of his grip, a growl beginning to form in my throat. I hit him on the back of the head. He pulled back, his cheeks tinting pink, finally realizing how he had acted.

"Are you trying to kill me?" I hissed, trying to catch my breath.

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head nervously, looking down. "Heh, heh, sorry, Mizuki. I was just worried about 'cha, ya know? I'm happy you're okay."

A pang of some sort of emotion went through my heart. I couldn't identify it... "How long was I out?" I mumbled, felling weird.

"Oh, only for a day. You should have seen it! I made the perfect plan to release Kakashi-sensei! He almost killed Zabuza, you know the evil devil dude? But suddenly this Mist tracker ninja threw these needles on his neck, killing him. He picked up his body and ran away, though. I think he took the body so he could dispose of it."

"Oh... wait...what? You said he took his body away? Do you mean beheaded him and then took it away?"

"No, but-"

"Oh… My gosh." I said, my mind working fast.

Naruto blinked in confusion. "What?" he asked, wondering that I was thinking about probably.

" Tracker ninja's always cut off the head! So there is no reason for the person to come back! those needles put him in a death like trance! No way would a tracker ninja take a complete body away! it must have been a fake!" I exclaimed, remembering my dad teaching me about what my uncle did.

I jumped up, wobbling slightly before running out of the room, passing two other doors. I leapt down a flight of stairs, entering a kitchen with a very shocked Naruto behind me. Five pairs of eyes met mine as I glared at Kakashi-sensei, pointing an accusing finger at him.

Sakura, Sasuke, a woman and Tazuna looked at me confused as I yelled, "You let Zabuza get away!"

"Impossible! We saw that tracker ninja take him away after hitting him with needles." Sasuke said, watching me as I breathed slightly hard.

Kakashi-sensei thought for a second before nodding slightly, "When I woke up, I had the same thought."

I explained what I had told Naruto just a second ago as they watched me. Kakashi-sensei nodded again and smiled with his eye.

"Well, since Zabuza truly is still alive, we better get some training in to help you guys when he comes back to fight again. Mizuki that was a very advanced observation. Good job. You should grab some breakfast so we can go to the forest."

A smirk tugged lightly on my lips as I turned to get food. A lady then walked over to me, a plate of steaming eggs, grits and sausage in her grasp.

"Hi! I'm Tazuna's daughter, Tsumi. I made you a plate of food! I hope you enjoy it!" Tsumi said, handing me the food.

I smiled slightly before taking my seat and beginning to eat. When we finished, we made our way to the woods to train. Kakashi-sensei stopped on his crutches and we all took a seat in front of him.

"Okay we will now start training lessons," Kakashi-sensei instructed, he then to talk about Chakra.

"Umm... Umm..." Naruto began, "What's Chakra?"

I kept back my laughter. Naruto, you are truly an idiot.

"You're a ninja and you don't know that! What did you learn in school!" Sakura snapped.

"Hehe... I used to sleep during the hard classes..." Naruto answered sheepishly.

"...This is bad," Kakashi-sensei murmured. "Sakura... you explain it.."

"Listen Naruto! I'm going to explain it simply. Somehow try to remember it with that slow brain of yours!" Sakura insulted. "Simply put, Chakra is the energy a shinobi needs when performing a Jutsu-"

I zoned her annoying talking out, tuning in only when she neared the end.

"-a seal with hands," Sakura finished, and Kakashi-sensei nodded,"Exactly." He said

"Hey! Hey! I didn't understand that complicated explanation but isn't it something you learn with your body?" Naruto asked, causing my eyes to roll.

"Argh!" Sakura hissed, hitting Naruto over the head.

"Naruto is right. We can already use Jutsu," Sasuke added.

"Nope, you guys are not using Chakra properly," Kakashi-sensei answered.

"What!" Naruto snapped.

"Well listen..." Kakashi-sensei deadpanned. "As Sakura said earlier, to release Chakra means to bring out physical and spiritual energy and mix them together within your body. And based on what Jutsu you use, the type and amount of Chakra that is released will be different.

"You guys are not using Chakra effectively yet. Even if you are able to release a huge amount of Chakra unless you control it properly the Jutsu will be weakened or not work at all," Kakashi-sensei explained. "And by wasting energy you won't be able to fight as long. These kinds of weaknesses will appear..."

Naruto sheepishly scratched his head. "So... What should we do?"

"Learn how to control it through very tough training."

"What are we going to do...?" Sakura questioned.

After a suspenseful silence Kakashi-sensei finally answered. "Hmm...? Tree Climbing."

I smirk slightly and remembered. I already had learned this, a while ago...

**Flashback**

_"Now, Mizuki, I can only teach you one thing before I have to go on my mission with my team. I will teach you how to walk up a tree without your hands." Mizuki's older brother said, smiling down at her._

_ Although it didn't reach his eyes, the five year old girl didn't notice, as most don't._

_ "How do you do that, Onii-chan?" she questioned, looking up at him in awe as he stood upside down from a tree, amazed at how fast he got there._

_ "It's quite easy, all you have to do is focus your chakra to the bottom of your feet and walk upwards. Remember, you have to focus!"_

_ Her brother threw a kunai at her feet and instructed her to use it to mark her place. Mizuki smiled and closed her eyes, focusing her chakra shakily. She then ran at the nearest tree, walking up five steps before being pushed off of it, but before she fell, she slashed the tree. She fell onto the ground but got back up, determined and ran back at the tree again, and again, but still, she fell back down. Finally, she didn't get up, her bangs covering her eyes. Her older brother jumped down from his tree._

_ "Don't worry, little sister." He encouraged "It just takes patience and concentration! You're a Gesshu! Focus on your surroundings and use them to your advantage! Take it slow if you have to! Never give up!"_

_ Mizuki smiled up at her brother before hugging him, her little arms barely linking together again. She faced the tree and closed her eyes, tuning into the earth and the trees. Life was all around her and she connected with it. She felt more confident than ever. She ran at the tree, kunai in hand, and got up 20 feet! She slashed the tree before landing gracefully on her feel again. She looked up at her brother, her eyes sparkling._

_ "Good!" he said, a small trace of annoyance in his eyes._

_ In his head, though, he thought, __**Amazing! But…Why? Why does it have to be her? I deserve the power! I deserve to be the one who will be the strongest! **__But, he covered up his emotions easily and lifted his sister above his head, spinning her around. She giggled happily and squealed as he threw her in the air, catching her bridal style._

**End Flashback**

I came back to my senses as Kakashi-sensei threw kunai at our feet. _Why did it have top end up this way?_ I thought.

"Use these to track your progress!" He said, sitting down carefully on a rock.

I growled slightly and grabbed the kunai, closing my eyes. I connected with the biggest tree easily and ran up it, barely visible. When I finally got the highest I could go, I looked back down to see how me teammates were doing. Sakura was at the top of a small tree, smiling importantly. Sasuke had went up six feet, but he used too much chakra and snapped the tree. Naruto had gotten up three feet and was pushed off the tree for not using enough chakra.

"Hey, where's Mizuki?" Sakura asked, "Did she chicken out because she was scared to lose to me? Cha!"

"...Up here, loser." I said smirking when all heads went up to where I was.

I let myself fall forwards off the tree, spinning quickly. I pulled out of it when I was about to hit the ground and looked over at Sakura.

"Chicken out, eh?" I teased, smirking wider when she glared.

"It seems our females have beaten the males! From the looks of it, they're going to become Hokage instead of you, Naruto!... And Sasuke, I guess the Uchiha Clan isn't so great. Maybe the Gesshu Clan is better?" Kakashi-sensei said, trying to get a rise out of them.

They growled and turned back to their trees, glaring at each other and running at it.

"Sakura, you can go protect Tazuna. If you want you can go to, Mizuki." Kakashi-sensei added, smiling with his eye.

"Nah, I'm going to train. Catch ya later, guys." I said, walking around until I reached a clearing.

I sat cross legged, closing my eyes and focusing on the life around me. I sighed in content as I let my guard down. Suddenly I opened my eyes and stood up, rapidly making hand signs, inhaling.

"Fire Style: Fire Balls Jutsu!" I yelled, placing two fingers to my mouth and breathing out.

Fire balls about the size of two basketballs put together appeared, weaving and dancing at my will. I then made them come into contact with ten different trees. I simultaneously heard cracks as the trees barely stayed upright. I leapt in the air, making more hand signs for an Air Style: Air Slice Jutsu. I pushed my chakra in the air and sent the powerful gusts of wind at the trees, making them all fall over.

I barely touched the ground again before I began to run around the clearing, trying to build up more endurance and stamina since I added more weights to my arms and legs. As I was running, I got out ten shuriken and threw them in the air. I grabbed ten kunai and threw them as I reached the opposite side, trying to pin the shuriken to

trees. When I succeeded in running around the clearing fifteen times, I collapsed on the ground, panting heavily. I loved up at the sky, the clouds, the sun...

So beautiful.

I keep wishing that I could just fly away, but I know that I have one more task in this world. I will repeat what it is in my head, out loud if I have to.

Kill Ryou.

I got up and walked back to the house, my head bowed and thoughts flying around in my head rapidly. I walked in the door, greeting Kakashi-sensei and Sakura. As I sat down to eat, Naruto and Sasuke stumbled in, supporting each other. I sighed and dug into the food, watching as they made themselves sick trying to out eat each other. I got up after finishing and thanked Tsumi, walking up to the room we shared. I went into the bathroom to take a shower, locking the door behind me. I peeled off my dirty clothes, placing the new clean ones on the sink. I turned on the hot water and stepped in, sighing in content as the water ran across my body. I washed my hair and body, watching as the dirt went down the drain and my muscles relaxed. I reluctantly turned off the water when Sakura knocked on the door and stepped out, drying off and putting my dirty clothes in the hamper after I dressed in my new ones – a baggy t-shirt and short shorts. I walked out the bathroom, nodding to Sakura and climbing into bed.

For the next four days, that pretty much was my routine. Wake up, get dressed, eat, train, watch over Tazuna and the other bridge builders, go back to the house, eat, and take a shower, sleep. Well, that was until today. I had trained extra late last night so I woke up a little late. I walked downstairs, waving to Tsumi. She smiled back and placed an envelope in my hand, returning to washing the dishes. I sat down and began to eat the food that was in front of me and took the letter out of the envelope, reading it softly out loud to myself.

_**Dear Mizuki,**_

_Please meet us at the bridge as soon as you finish eating. It seems like the day for Zabuza is coming, since were nearly done with the bridge. Naruto is probablystill sleeping, he trained so hard that he passed out last night. Don't wake him, he'll come to us when he's gotten enough sleep. Well, we'll see you soon._

_**Team Seven**_

I nodded slightly and got up, placing my plate by the others. I waved to Tsumi and ran out the door, heading to the bridge. I was running so fast that when a little girl about the age of six with black hair ran out into the street chasing a small ball I had to leap to the side, doing an awkward flip and landing hard on my back. I sighed slightly and got up, glancing at the girl as she apologized repeatedly. I shook my head.

"It's fine. What's your name?" I asked, smiling slightly at her.

her eyes lit up as she did a little spin, landing dramatically on the tips of her toes, leaning forward, her green eyes sparkling. It was cute, and I was sure that this wasn't the first time that she did this.

She held both of her thumbs up as she replied, "I'm Akira Moroiko! What's your name?"

"Mizuki Gesshu" I replied, standing up and dusting off, "Sorry, I have to go to the bridge. My team is waiting for me. Bye, Akira. Nice to meet you!"

I waved at her as I turned and ran, trying to make up for lost time by running as fast as I could. I angrily pinched myself. I'm getting to warm. _These emotions will get me killed!_ I thought. When I reached the bridge, I was shocked. Everybody was killed - all but Tazuna, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi-sense. I looked around for them but I didn't see them anywhere. My eyes widened. Something was not right. There was only one explanation for this.

Zabuza was back.

I ran towards the massive chakra I sensed, cursing mentally. If only I didn't stop to talk to that girl... I finally reached my clearing noticing that Zabuza had a boy with a mask on beside him. the boy wore a brown shirt with a tan sash. Also, he wore baggy brown pants. Tazuna, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi-sensei were on the opposite side, in fighting positions. I leapt over Tazuna and the

boy's head, sliding on the ground until I was beside Kakashi-sensei in a crouching position.

"What's going on? What did I miss?" I asked, not moving my gaze to my team.

"Well, you were right, Mizuki, Zabuza was only put in a death like state by that boy beside him. The boy - Haku is his name - had acted like he was a tracker ninja so he could take Zabuza away and heal him." Kakashi-sensei informed, his hand on his headband.

"Haku...Yammamato?" I questioned, my eyes now on Haku.

His head snapped towards mine. My eyes widened. Could it be?

**Flashback**

_A four year old Mizuki sat in her room, playing with her plushie. Her room door opened, revealing her father and a boy her age. She set down her plushie and looked up at her dad, confusion in her blue eyes._

_ "Mizuki, dear, this is Haku Yammamato. his father has to do business with me so while he's here could you take him to the backyard and play with him?" Her father asked, smiling down at his daughter._

_ She smiled and nodded, getting up and skipping over to Haku, grabbing his hand and giggling when he blushed slightly. She then led him outside to the back yard to play. For the next ten months, Haku and Mizuki played happily around her house while their parents did business together, becoming best friends almost instantly. _

**End Flashback**

I continue to stare at him. Even though it felt like years, it was only seconds. Time seemed to stop though. Haku... Why is he with Zabuza? Did he know how bad he was, and all the cruel things he did? It seemed impossible that the innocent boy she once knew was reduced to his, it truly hurt her.

"Haku! Why are you with him? He's evil! W-"

I was cut off when Haku pulled off his mask temporarily, glaring at my and shouting, "NO! YOU DON'T KNOW HIM LIKE I DO! HES A GOOD MAN!"

I looked down, one lone tear running down my cheeks. I was being betrayed... again. It seemed like a repetitive thing now a days, I should have expected something like this to happen, it was bound to. I looked back up, my tear gone, like it never existed. I had my expressionless mask back up and I growled loud enough for him to hear, glaring furiously. I stood up straight and tall, taking out two kunai and twirling them on my fingers.

"Let me have this guy!" Sasuke said, practically trembling.

I pushed him back as he started to advance on Haku, shaking my head.

"No. This guy is MINE." I turned back to Haku, grabbing the twirling kunai and getting in a fighting position,

"Well, Haku let's see how much you've grown."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Battle**

**Mizuki's P.O.V**

I lunged at Haku, throwing two kunai that I slid out of my pouch. He easily dodged them with one of his own, throwing it at my heart. I leapt in the air, the kunai whizzing past my stomach and slightly grazing it. I smirked as I landed on the ground, spinning in a crouching position. I shot my legs out, trying to trip Haku up. He jumped in the air, falling for my trick. My clone poofed as I fell from the sky, aiming a downwards kick at him. He gasped and barely grabbed my foot as it came down upon his head. I rebounded by using my other foot to kick him in the face, making him lose his grip on my foot and fly backwards into a tree.

I sweat dropped and ran over to Haku, Sasuke appearing beside me as he stood up. I ran back at him, aiming a punch. He grabbed it and aimed a kick, which I also grabbed. I then aimed a kick to his weak spot; his side. He stumbled to the side slightly, pulling away and jumping backwards, doing hand signs.

"Ice Style: Crystal Ice Mirrors!" he yelled.

I gasped and looked around, Haku's kekki genkai forming all around Sasuke and me. Suddenly, sebon needles from all angles were thrown at us. My eyes widened and I pulled out a kunai blocking them. Sasuke didn't have that much luck, though. Now he was on his knees, sebon needles piercing his skin. I ran over to him hearing Sakura's voice yelling 'Take this!'. I looked up and saw her kunai now in Haku's hands. I growled slightly before starting to make hand signs.

Haku stopped me though, sending more and more sebon needles in my direction. I could block twenty at a time but he sent so many more. Soon, I was being pierced with them. It was time to start fighting back... I closed my eyes, activating my Molani. But since my eyes were closed, Haku took that chance to send twenty or so sebon needles at me, making me fall to my knees, gasping in pain. But I stood back up, easily blocking sebon needles that were flung at me now. I could even get to Sasuke and help him when some got past his defenses. I was just about to punch Haku in the face when he changed mirrors but he was suddenly hit with a kunai. I looked around to see who it was. I groaned. When the smoke cleared ten feet from the Ice Mirrors, I could see Naruto in a stance, smirking.

"Konoha's number one hyperactive knuckleheaded ninja..." I heard Haku mutter when he got up.

"NARUTO UZUMAKI IS HERE, BELEIVE IT!" Naruto yelled, standing up straight now.

"Naruto, you baka!" Sasuke said when he got to his feet again, "Why didn't you act like a real ninja and sneak up on the guy?"

Naruto looked at Sasuke, hmpfing. Haku returned to the Ice Mirrors, sending more sebon needles at us. Sauke growled and stood up, his eyes red with black coons in them.

"Sasuke... Is that what I think it is?" I said in awe.

"Yeah, the Sharingan." He replied, smirking.

I dashed over to Sasuke, deflecting weapons as they came at me. I made it to Sasuke and made hand signs.

"Earth Style: Earth Barrier Jutsu!" I yelled.

An earth barrier surrounded us on all sides, defending us from attacks as I discussed what we should do to Sasuke.

"Sasuke I can see where Haku goes, and I'm sure you can too, but we can't move fast enough to hit him. If we get Naruto to attack the mirrors from the outside, we can hit that same spot from the inside and possibly defeat Haku. We shouldn't kill him... I'm sure he's innocent. He's just confused and got his loyalties mixed up." I explained, knowing that Haku knew what he was mixed into.

Sasuke nodded and replied, "Yeah. Since this is an ice jutsu, maybe we can take it down without fire jutsu. We should try those. When you lower you barrier we'll use the Fire Ball Jutsu at the same time. Then we'll clue Naruto in somehow to attack on that spot from the outside. Sound good?"

I nodded and turned back around.

"Lowering the barrier in three...two... ONE!"

I lowered and barrier and I and Sasuke jumped to the left, making hand signs and breathing deep in sync.

"FIRE STYLE: FIRE BALL JUTSU!" we yelled as we exhaled and placed two fingers to our mouths.

Fire sprouted quickly and joined together as it hit the Ice Mirrors. I waited and... NOTHING HAPPENED!

"I should have known..." I spat, deflecting needles and getting hit with some, "This is his Kekki Genkai... we can't penetrate it with just two fire attacks..."

Sasuke nodded and we knelt down beside each other, deflecting needles.

I turned to him and spoke in a whisper, "We just need to find a way to signal Naruto to-"

"Hey, guys! I snuck in here to help you!" A voice whispered beside us.

I slowly looked to the left, hoping and praying it wasn't Naruto.

It. Was.

"God damn it, Naruto!" Sasuke and I said, smacking out foreheads, "You were supposed to stay out there and attack from the outside!"

Naruto chuckled nervously before stating, "Hey! Be grateful I came to help!"

I glared at him and stood again, getting sliced by sebon needles again, "Whatever! Let's just try and attack the same spot at the same time! Sasuke, use your fire style jutsu... I'll use and Earth Bolder Jutsu.. and Naruto... Naruto?"

Naruto had got up, making hand signs.

He yelled, "Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

His shadow clones all ran at the mirrors, getting destroyed easily.

"Naruto you baka! Wait..."

"What is it?" Sasuke questioned, looking over at me.

"I could see Haku! He had to move slightly slower know, since Naruto's clones were everywhere! Naruto! Use that again. Sasuke.. Use your Fire Jutsu with my Earth one when you see Haku. Go slightly early so we can hit him" I whispered.

They both nodded, Naruto making his Shadow Clones and me and Sasuke using our jutsu at the same time again. Crap! We just grazed the edge of his pants...

"Again!" I yelled, making hand signs again.

We once again failed.

"Crap... This isn't working. Naruto! Get outside of the Ice Mirrors and we'll tell you where to hit with your Shadow Clones!" Sasuke said, taking out another kunai and throwing it at the mirrors.

I breathed hard silently. I was losing a lot of Chakra... I don't know how I'll be able to keep up like this. Twenty sebon needles came at me just as I thought that. I growled weakly and dodged five of them, falling to my knees. Naruto rammed into my side just as I was just about to get up.

"C'mon, Naruto." I said as I blocked sebon needles heading his way, "I can't keep protecting you forever..."

Naruto chuckled weakly and got up, whispering, "I never told you to.."

I looked backwards and gasped as he fell over, unconscious.

_Naruto! Haku just severely hurt my comrade... Not acceptable!_ An unexplainable anger came over me and I started shaking, no,trembling in anger.

"Haku... You're _going to freakin' pay for this!_" I yelled.

Something in me had suddenly snapped... I had reached my Kunioki state...

**Sasuke's P.o.V**

"Haku... YOU'RE GOING TO FREAKIN' PAY FOR THIS!" Mizuki yelled.

I looked over at her and gasped. Her usual forest green eyes were now a deep, chilling purple. Water, Fire, Earth and Air slowly began to swirl around her, her black hair sweeping around restlessly. I took a small step back as she growled menacingly, advancing at a very shocked Haku that had came out of the mirror. He sent sebon needles at her but that only helped her. With inhuman speed, Mizuki swatted Haku out of the air like a fly, sending him crashing to the floor.

He stood again.

She growled louder and leapt gracefully in the air, twisting and sending all of the elements at Haku in what seemed to be a spiral. He was caught up in it and I could even hear him scream out in pain. She then leapt again and sent a kick with all her chakra on it at the wall we were trying to hit before, following it up with seven earth boulders and sharp wind. A hollow crack echoed around me and suddenly...

The Ice Mirrors... shattered.

Haku finally got out of the tornado and growled, panting. He then ran at Mizuki, making hand signs so fast that even with my Sharingan I couldn't get all of it. But I guess I could blame it on the fact that I didn't have much experience with it. He then hit Mizuki in the back legs stomach and neck. She flew backwards and rammed into a tree, sliding down it and not moving. I growled and pulled out a kunai, running towards Haku as Naruto came to. I added a burst of speed with my chakra and leapt at him, aiming the kunai at his throat. He easily grabbed my hand, pulling out two sebon needles and stabbing them in my stomach.

I gasped in pain as he threw me to the side. I landed harshly on the ground and rolled onto my back.

Naruto got up and ran over to me, eyes wide. "Sasuke!" he yelled.

I coughed up blood as he approached, managing to roll my eyes at the dobe. "What… are you doing, Naruto. Go attack Haku." I croaked.

"Sasuke, you teme! Get up and we can attack him together!"

"I can't… Naruto. It seems as if I can avenge my Clan's death, either."

Naruto said something else, but it was all just random dobe speak to me. My vision got hazy, and I began to fall limp in Naruto's arms. The last thing I saw before I passed out was Naruto and weird orange chakra surrounding him.

But I could be just hallucinating.

**Mizuki's P.O.V**

I coughed up blood as I fell onto my side. Haku had tried to cut off my chakra points but for some reason it didn't work... I only felt pain but I could still since my chakra flowing in me. I guess he just didn't have much chakra.

"I take it back, Naruto..." I heard Haku mutter as he lay before Naruto, "I still have one thing left to do..."

Haku then disappeared, leaving a very confused Naruto standing awkwardly. I looked around for Haku, but the mist was in the way.

As if it has heard my thoughts, the mist slowly began to thin out. I could see five figures... Sakura was in front of Tazuna, a kunai in her hands. I looked at the other figures and waited for the mist to get clearer. It looked like...

NO!

Haku had jumped front of Kakashi-sense it seemed, since he had his hand thrust through his heart. Zabuza was just inches away, his eyes widened.

"I didn't know that I had got such a useful thing, back then!" Zabuza exclaimed.

Gradually, a smirk began to grow on his lips as he reached behind his back, grabbing his sword and aiming it at Kakashi.

_He's about to cut through Haku to get to Kakashi-sensei!_ I thought

Zabuza brought the sword down but Kakashi-sensei jumped back, barely avoiding Zabuza's deadly sword. Kakashi-sensei gently laid Haku down by the edge of the bridge.

I closed my eyes and silently cried, making sure to shield my eyes.

_Haku..._ I thought weakly. _HAKU!_

"What a shame now both your arms are useless," I heard Kakashi-sensei gloat, "You can't even preform a seal."

"You're getting beaten, how disappointing," spoke a new voice from an old small man "Zabuza..."

_Is this…_

"Gatou? Why are you here? What's with all these men?" Zabuza asked, confirming my suspicions.

Gatou let out a small smirk.

"The plan has changed... Well actually, I planned to do this from the beginning," Gatou laughed. "Zabuza, I'm going to have you killed here. I never planned on paying you any money. Hiring a normal ninja from the village is expensive and they may betray me... So I get you missing-nins who are easy to take care of afterwards. I have the ninjas battle each other and once they're weakened I kill them off with numbers. It doesn't cost me anything. Good plan, don't you think?"

My eyes narrowed as I watched him. He was truly a black hearted man, and I hated everything about him. Even if Zabuza showed indifference about Haku's slaughter, he seemed like a better person.

"The only problem in the plan was you Zabuza... The Devil Of The Hidden Mist? What a joke, if you ask me... You're just a... cute little baby devil," Gatou taunted, before grinning. "We can easily kill you now!"

"Who are these guys? So many of them..." Naruto trailed off, turning to me, "Who are they?"

"Zabuza's ex-employer and his pawns," I murmured, not looking over at him. Zabuza looked down.

"Kakashi I'm sorry... This fight is over. Now that I have no reason to go after Tazuna I have no reason to fight you," Zabuza said and then looked back up at Gatou.

"Ah..." Kakashi-sensei murmured.

"Huh?" Naruto confusedly stated hearing a single 'you're right' from Kakashi-sensei.

"Oh yeah..." Gatou walked closer to Haku's dead body, his arm bandaged. "I owe this one..." Gatou kicked Haku roughly. "You squeezed my arm until it broke..."

My eyes widened, and anger pulsed through me.

"Stop it!" I exclaimed.

"Heh... He's dead," Gatou ignored me and deliberately kicked Haku's dead body even harder as if it were some pebble on the side of the road. My hands clenched into fists, my blue eyes blazing.

"I said stop it!" I yelled louder.

"What are you doing! You bastard!" Naruto exclaimed, I glanced at Naruto. He ran to Gatou as if he were ready to kill but Kakashi-sensei held him back.

"Hey! Look at their numbers, don't just jump in!" Kakashi-sensei scolded.

"Say something too! Weren't you friends!" Naruto yelled to Zabuza, but he didn't even flinch.

"Shut up kid. Haku is already dead," Zabuza murmured, and Naruto snapped.

"Shut up… Just shut up!" I felt myself say when I heard him say that.

"Don't you feel anything at all? Weren't you two always together!" Naruto exclaimed.

"As I was used by Gatou, I used Haku. That's all it was. I've said it already... In the world of the Shinobi there are only those who use, and those who are used. We Shinobi are simply tools... What I wanted was his blood, not him. I have no regrets," Zabuza explained.

"Hey... Do you really mean that?" Naruto asked, unsure before he rushed at Zabuza before Kakashi-sensei could stop him.

"Stop Naruto! We are not fighting him anymore, plus..." Kakashi-sensei stopped.

"Shut up! My enemy is still him!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing at Zabuza.

Zabuza gave him a sideways glare while Gatou rolled his eyes.

"Who is this really annoying kid?" Gatou sighed, but was ignored.

"He... He really loved you!" Naruto pointed at Haku with an angry but thoughtful face. "He loved you that much! Do you really feel nothing! Do you really... REALLY NOT FEEL ANYTHING!"

For once, I actually agreed with him. Whole heartedly.

Tears leaked out of Naruto's eyes."If I become as strong as you... Will I really become like you!" Naruto's face looked torn. "He threw away his life for you! Without his own dream to die as a tool... That's... Just too sad..."

Naruto's eyes turned red and teary, running down his face. I looked away from it. I didn't need to see anymore say faces, it just the reality to real to bare.

"Kid... you don't need to say anymore..." Zabuza looked at Naruto sadly, a few unexpected tears leaking from his eyes.

I was pleased to see that he could actually feel something. Naruto's words must have gotten to him.

Naruto looked up surprised, obviously not expecting it either.

"Kid... It pained him to have to fight you... Haku fought not only for me... He fought for you guys too. He was to kind. I'm glad I got to face you guys in the end," Zabuza's mask ripped from his face. "Yeah kid... you may be right... A Shinobi is still a human... We may not be able to become emotionless tools... I've lost... Kid let me borrow your Kunai..."

"Huh?...Oh..." Naruto looked down sadly before throwing the kunai over to him. "Yeah."

Zabuza caught it with his mouth since his arms were useless, before rushing at Gatou who was kind enough to wait.

"WHA!" Gatou ran back trying to rid of the ninja he so used, before looking at all his pawns. "That's enough! Kill them!"

"Sure thing!"

"Yeah!"

"One badly injured ninja against these numbers!"

"You think you can win!"

Zabuza ran with a dragon like mist form in back of him made from his Chakra making the attackers back up a bit.

"A...a devil!"

I smiled slightly as Zabuza took out those men. He even stabbed Gato. Just when I was about to turn to Kakashi-sensei and ask to join the fight, searing pain went through my stomach. I looked down, gasping at what I saw. A katana was sticking out of my stomach, blood oozing fast from the wound. I fell to my knees.

"Mizuki!" Naruto exclaimed, rushing over to me.

I coughed up blood as he knelt beside me, tears threatening to run from his eyes again.

"Mizuki... Don't die on me. You'll be okay..." he muttered, fumbling with the sword.

I shook my head.

"No... Naruto. I won't be okay. I'll never get to kill him... Well… At least I can join them. Oh and Naruto? Thank you... You might not know it but you helped me... I want you to know that you..."

I struggled to breathe as Naruto shook me.

"No! Mizuki!"

But it was too late. My eyes misted over, and I choked in my last breath.

This is when I, Mizuki Gesshu, died.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: Mizuki?**

**Naruto's P.O.V**

Mizuki... I thought as I looked down at Mizuki's cold, lifeless body. I laid her head in my lap as I slowly removed the bloody katana. After she died, the men decided they wanted to raid the village. Luckily, I could make a lot of shadow clones. Kakashi-sensei did the same and the villagers appeared. That sure scared them off... But afterwards, they left and I walked back to Mizuki and now here I am.

Never will I see her determined eyes, filled with life and drive. Two team mates in one day?

First Sasuke... I can hear Sakura, even from here, crying over his body and saying something about 'being the very best' or something. Then Haku and Zabuza... While fighting the men, Zabuza was seriously injured and laid down next to Haku, where he died. And now Mizuki... Although she can be cold, I can see through it. She's just mourning from her Clan's death...

"Sakura... Could you please get off me? It hurts." A familiar voice said.

"SASUKE! YOU'RE ALIVE! OH MY GOSH!" Sakura exclaimed.

I looked over to where Sakura and Tazuna were. Kakashi-sensei sighed sadly as he glanced down at Mizuki, and then he walked over to Sasuke to see what was going on. Sasuke grunted at Sakura and sat up, wincing in pain. I sighed and stood up walking over to them and carrying Mizuki's body bridal style.

"Where's Mizuki?" I heard Sasuke say.

He looked over at me and his eyes widened as he saw her pale skin and closed eyes. I laid her down on a soft patch of grass. I looked over at Sasuke and mentally fell over. It looked like his eyes were filled with pain. I blinked and looked again. Nope. Just and emotionless mask. Maybe I was just imagining it...

_Ah... _a voice said suddenly in my head, _this should be fun. It's Chieko._

I was just about to question the demon fox of what he said when something weird happened… Mizuki began glowing. My eyes widened and the wind picked up, sending dust into our eyes. When I finally cleared it out, Mizuki had... changed.

Instead of long black hair she had short snowy white hair. Her skin was still deathly pale but didn't radiate death. She now was wearing a white mid-thigh dress. She began to giggle. It was unlike her... I couldn't see her eyes since her bangs covered them. She started to cackle louder and louder her high pitched voice sending chills down my spine.

"M-Mizuki?" I asked hesitantly.

Her head shot up and her creepy blood red eyes looked at me. Her head cocked to the side and she took a step forward in my direction. Suddenly Kakashi-sensei was in front of me, his hand back on his headband. He pulled it up and revealed his Sharingan eye. The girl I took for Chieko just laughed away, her head still in my direction.

"Kyuubi?" She questioned, smirking.

I felt Kyuubi slowly take over my body.

"Hello, Chieko." my voice said, coming out raspy and low.

Now, the rest of my team mate's eyes were on me, startled by the sudden change in voice. Mi-Chieko giggled and gestured for me to come towards her. My body pushed Kakashi-sensei's out of the way, walking over to stand by Chieko. She then lunged at me, wrapping her arms around my neck. My hands put themselves securely around her waist in a hug. She then pulled away, giggling and twirling.

"I think we should kill these worthless ninja and the bridge builder. Then we can go anywhere we want. I get to choose first though!" Chieko exclaimed, taking my hand and spinning herself around again.

I felt myself nod and rasp out, "Yeah. I get the guy with the spiky hair."

_No! No! NO!_ I thought in my head, _**LET ME HAVE CONTROL!**_

Suddenly I got a little bit of control and was able to pull Miz-Chieko into a hug. Pulling her close, I whispered in her ear, "Mizuki! I know you're in there. Fight her!"

Chieko growled and punched me hard in the face, sending me stumbling backwards.

"Kyuubi! Control your host!" She exclaimed harshly, a no-nonsense look on her face. Sighing in annoyance, her lips pulled downwards in a scowl.

I lost the little control I had. Great.

"Got him." Kyuubi said.

"Were not going to go down without a fight, you know." Kakashi-sensei said, pulling out a kunai.

"Yeah" Sakura and Sasuke agreed, both taking out kunai.

I could still see Sakura shaking in fear, though.

A strange smirk appeared on my face and I pulled out a kunai, taking a step forwards, preparing to brutally kill my team mates. I didn't want to look, but I couldn't look away. The sense of not being control was making me crazy!

"NOOO! NOT NOW! _NOT NOW_!" Chieko suddenly exclaimed as Kyuubi and her were about to advance on Kakashi-sensei, Sakura and Sasuke.

Chieko began to shake violently. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, showing the white backside of her eyes. She lifted in the air, still shaking uncontrollably. Suddenly she stopped moving all together, her mouth opening wide. Slowly, she began to chant a prophecy

'When all things have calmed down,

New horrors will rise,

And four will become two'

Chieko chanted this three more times before she screamed and fell to the ground. Her hair got longer and turned black. Her eyes closed completely but I knew they were blue again. With hope in my heart I stepped forward, placing my hand on her wrist. I listened closely.

Silence.

But then…

Thump.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

My heart soared.

Mizuki had a pulse.

**Mizuki's P.O.V**

I couldn't move. I could barely breathe. I couldn't hear.

But I could feel.

Oh god could I feel. Unbearable pain surrounded me, swallowed me, and consumed me. It felt like I was getting stabbed repeatedly in my stomach, a kunai dragged down my legs and someone punching my face.

To put it simply,

I was in pain.

Through the pain, I could gradually hear again. At first it was just little bits and pieces that I couldn't make out. But soon I could hear everything.

"-We let Mizuki stay at Tsumi's house and get better?" A voice said.

"Because, Naruto, Lord Hokage gave us a time limit. We already are going to just barely make it. We don't need for the Hokage to assume something happened and send someone to check up on us" a more mature voice replied.

"Oh yeah and Kakashi-sensei? Why did Mizuki change like that?" Naruto asked.

Now a girl's voice I recognized as Sakura's spoke up, "Yeah, Kakashi-sensei it was really weird and scary.

"Oh, and why did I change like that too?" Naruto added.

What? I thought I don't remember anything about that at all.

I opened my eyes, letting them adjust to the light. It was a bad time to 'wake up' because now Kakashi-sensei shut his mouth quickly and continued jumping in silence.

"Mizuki! You're awake! We were so worried! You died! But then you came back but you weren't really you..." Naruto said appearing beside the person who was carrying me.

I looked up and saw Sasuke was. Suddenly Sakura appeared and punched Naruto, sending him backwards. I chuckled slightly and closed my eyes. The pain had lessened but not to the extent that I could stand up or walk around.

"Did Zabuza kill all of those thugs?" I asked hopefully.

"Well we scared them off... Because he uh... died. They hurt him pretty bad, you know. He died beside Haku. I guess that's how he would have wanted it. Haku, I mean." Naruto said, appearing again with a lump on his face.

I sighed and looked down at the thought of Haku.

_Just another person to put on the list of people I've lost..._ I thought sadly.

After three long hours went by I got sleepy. I snuggled up to Sasuke's chest, ignoring glares of jealousy from Sakura, and fell asleep.

**Dream**

_A little girl about the age of five skipped down the streets of Konoha. Several people glared at her but she did her best to ignore it, keeping her eyesight on her best and only friend, Hinata Hyuuga. She never knew why people didn't like her but she didn't care much. She had her mom, dad, sister, brother, Hinata and Hinata's mother. Well that was until she passed away (Hinata's mother)._

_ "Hinata-chan are you ready to go play?" Mizuki asked._

_ The shy little girl with purple hair and pale, pupiless purple eyes looked up as Mizuki, smiling and nodding._

_ "Yea-" _

_ The little girl, however, was cut off by a strict looking man known as her father._

_ "What are you doing here, Hinata?" he said harshly, glaring at Mizuki hatefully. _

_ Mizuki looked down, ashamed of herself._

_ "P-please, father! I-I just w-want to go p-play with Mizuki-chan!" Hinata exclaimed, looking up at her father hopefully._

_ He turned to hiss over at Mizuki before glaring and turning away._

_ "No." he simply said, grabbing Hinata's hand and tugging her away, spitting at the ground at Mizuki's feet as he left._

**End Dream**

I awoke silently, looking around. I sighed. At the hospital... The rhythmic beating of the monitor helped me to understand that. Oh, and the fact that there was a NEEDLE in my arm. I sighed and looked around, not knowing what I should do next. But then, I saw a note on the side of the bed. I picked it up and read it.

_**Dear Mizuki,**_

You have been sleeping for a week and we hope that you feel better if you wake up today. Kakashi-sensei said that when you get released we will train more.

_**Team 7**_

I sighed and hoped that i would get better soon.


	8. Chapter 8

**Black Ice Chapter 8**

**Gaara of the Sand**

After finally checking out of that stupid hospital two weeks later, I, well obviously, trained. I tried to fight off the emotions that Team 7 was making me feel but it wasn't that hard. It seemed like the more I tried to resist, the more I showed happiness, excitement and other emotions. But on the other side I think it helped me gain more control over my Kunioki State. I could now control elements without chakra for a limited time. Also I could merge my soul with the environment, like trees, and sometimes control it, like vines and plants and stuff.

Now, I am sitting by Naruto, glancing up at Kakashi-sensei. Although he's always late and reads those perverted books, he is a good teacher. He's the main one that helped me control my Kunioki State, and that wasn't an easy task. I smiled slightly and tuned back in to what he was saying.

"-Okay! I think that's all for today! You guys did a good job. Now, you can do what you want. Goodbye!" and with a puff of smoke he was gone.

I stood up, waving at Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto before turning and walking away. Soon, I reached my destination. I jumped into a tree, climbing onto a thick branch and leaning back against it, closing my eyes. I let the environment seep into my heart, my eyes gaining a purple ring around it. I sighed in content as I could feel the world around me breathing. I felt the birds, the trees, the squirrels and even the tiny ants, scurrying across the ground with food half their sizes on their backs. I slowly began to fall asleep...

"You little brat!" I heard a voice yell, "Do you know who you just ran into? I think I should teach you a lesson..."

I sighed in annoyance, opening my eyes so I could see what the problem was now. I gasped slightly. Naruto and Sakura were standing across from some guy in a black baggy full body suit. It had a red and yellow circle on the front. He also had a hood with cat-like ears on the top. He had weird purple face paint all over his face, his Suna forehead protector was on his forehead. The guy had picked up a wiggling Konohamaru, bringing him up to his face and sneering at him hatefully.

"Kankuro! We don't have time for this! Put the boy down and let's get out of here!" A girl with four pig-tails gathered around her head said.

The girl also had a Suna head protector, but it was around her neck, like mine. She had green eyes and wore a single light purple-colored garment that went all the way down to her thighs. Underneath it, she wore a fishnet undershirt. Also, she had a huge fan on her back. Kankuro turned to her, now, Konohamaru still in his iron grasp.

"Temari, this boy ran into me, he deserves to be punished!"

Naruto was about to launch himself recklessly at Kankuro but Sakura held him back, whispering something in his ear that made him stop struggling and just continue to glare at Kankuro. Kankuro pulled back his arm, preparing to punch a quivering Konohamaru. I sighed again and picked up a rock, noticing Sasuke behind me with two in his hand as well. I nodded to him and we both threw one at the same time, both hitting Kankuro in the arm with deadly accuracy. Kankuro dropped Konohamaru and everyone looked in our direction. They saw Sasuke throw his other pebble in the air, letting it fall into my open palm. I then smashed it so it became dust particles. We both jumped down coolly. I'm so cool! I thought happily, keeping my 'don't-mess-with-me' look up.

"You're stupid. Wanting to hurt a child just because they ran into you?" I said.

"Pathetic." Sasuke finished, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

I looked over and saw Sakura practically pass out squealing 'Sasuke's so cool!'

"It's cocky people like you... That really makes me pissed off!" Kankuro suddenly exclaimed, reaching behind his back and pulling a wrapped up bundle from behind him.

_What is that?_ I thought.

"Kankuro! Are you really going to use the crow for this?" Temari exclaimed, her eyes wide.

Kankuro nodded, preparing to unravel the thing inside of the wrap. I slightly leaned forward to see what was in it, a kunai in hand. The wrap began to unravel more, showing messy brown hair.

_Could it be?_ I thought in shock, _Is it really a-_

"Kankuro," A low voice said, making me slightly jump at its fierceness, "Why are you trying to start a fight? You should have just walked away. Now put the crow back up before I kill you. I don't care if you are my brother."

My eyes widened as I heard the voice say that. It was right to the left of me... at that tree. I looked over and saw a guy with the most intriguing sea foam eyes. There was a thick outline around his eyes, a love sign on the left forehead. He wore maroon shirt and pants, a white sash around him. It matched his tousled maroon hair. It defied gravity, or it looked like it since he was upside down. A huge gourd was on his back, I'm guessing it had sand in it. There was something about him... it made my stomach lurch.

Suddenly I was in front of a gate... I looked up and gasped in shock. A huge white wolf with two tails appeared in front of me, restricted by the cage.

"Who are you?" I muttered in awe as I stared up at her in awe.

"My name is Chieko. I am a two tailed wolf demon. I have been sealed inside of you ever since you were born."

My eyes widened. I opened my mouth to speak but she silenced me with a look.

"We must speak later..."

I was brought back to the present. I had unconsciously stared at Gaara, my eyes never blinking or leaving his. He appeared before me in a whirl of sand, still staring at me.

"You...?" he questioned, cocking his head to the side in confusion.

I just stared. Suddenly I walked towards him, unconscious of myself doing so. I lifted one of my hands, slowly moving it towards his stomach. I could faintly hear Kankuro and Temari gasp, but they did not move forward or do anything, they just stared. I finally placed my hand on Gaara's stomach. A wave of recognition came over me and I lost control over myself. My eyes turned red and my hair slowly shortened and turned white.

_Chieko..._ I breathed in my head. She giggled and hugged Gaara. He hugged back, a small smirk on his face.

"Chieko..." he muttered in a different voice than before.

His eyes seemed to have turned black. I fought for control. _This doesn't feel right_! I thought. I then pulled my hand away, my hair and eyes returning to normal. I stumbled backwards and gasped. He also regained his composure and turned to Kankuro and Temari, glaring.

"Were leaving." he stated simply, beginning to walk away.

They nodded shakily and turned, following his retreating back.

"Oh, what your name?" Sasuke asked suddenly.

"Who? Me?" Temari asked turning and smiling.

"No. You the one with the gourd on his back."

"I am Sabaku no Gaara. I am interested in you and your name as well" Gaara turned and replied, looking at me and Sasuke.

"Sasuke Uchiha."

Mizuki Gesshu" I replied, looking down at my nails.

Gaara nodded and turned around. He started walking again, Temari and Kankuro right beside him.

"Hey!" Naruto yelled, "Don't you want to know my name?"

"No." Gaara said, not looking back.

Naruto hmphed and Konohamaru giggled, still staring up at me in awe. It was kind of cute... but sort of weird at the same time.

"Hey, wait!" I heard Sakura say, "I see that your headbands are from Suna. I know that the Fire Country is allied with the Wind Country, but that doesn't give you a right to be here without permission. What are you doing here? I d-demand t-to see your p-passports or I w-will have to t-take you t-to the Ho-Hokage."

Sakura began to stutter when they turned and glared at her. Temari sighed and stepped forward, taking out something.

"This is our passport. Have you been living under a rock all of your life? We're here for the Chuunin Exams!" with that they turned and walked away.

The Chuunin Exams? There here? I thought.

"What are the Chuunin Exams?" Naruto asked stupidly.

"The Chuunin Exams are where Genin from all Countries come and participate in three tasks." I said, smiling slightly.

"Oh yeah! I knew that!" Naruto quickly said.

I giggled and turned.

"Well see yah!" I said, jumping back into my tree, sitting back down on the branch.

I closed my eyes and tried to go back into my meditating state. I began to hear the running water a little bit away, the birds chirping from above and the woodpeckers attacking the trees. I sighed in content. Nothing could make me happier. Nothin-

"HEY, MIZUKI! WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT GARRA GUY! THAT WAS REALLY WIERD!" Naruto _bellowed_ in my ear.

I was in such shock that I jumped, falling off the tree. I barely had enough time to stick my leg out, spinning like a psycho person as I tried to regain balance. When I came to a stop I looked back up, seeing a shocked look on Naruto's face. I was angry.

"What the HELL? Are you trying to KILL ME?"

"Eh! Sorry Mizuki!" he exclaimed, flailing his arms around helplessly.

I sighed and walked back up the tree, a purple ring appearing on my pupils.

"Ugh. It's fine. Just don't do that again okay?"

"Okay!"

I jumped to the ground gracefully landing on my feet. I started to walk away, waving at Naruto.

"I'll see you at training tomorrow!" I yelled as I chakra jumped away.

He nodded and waved, going his own way. _I can't believe it..._ I thought, _I actually care for Naruto... How did I let this happen?_ I made it home and walked in, immediately going into the kitchen and making rice balls with fish. I then went upstairs so I could take a shower and go to bed. But, I couldn't sleep...

I sighed and jumped onto the roof, taking my familiar position. I stared up at the moon, letting my mind wander. I then saw a figure on the roof beside mine. Strange... I thought I'm usually the only one out here most days. Sasuke sometimes comes out but that's not his chakra... It's... Gaara's? I jumped over to Gaara and saw him watching the moon like I would, but he was standing up.

"Trouble sleeping?" I inquired, walking over to him.

He looked down at me and shook his head, looking back up at the moon.

"I don't sleep. I have insomnia. You couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah. I usually can't sleep. I come out here. It calms me. The moon reminds me that my family is watching over me." I explained, not knowing why I said that.

We sat in silence for a while, looking up at the moon. Soon, I blurted out, "Why are you so cold to people?" and then covered my mouth. What was wrong with me? I was about to apologize when he actually answered my question.

"It's what I am. But I can't help but be nice to you... why? All my life people have been mean to me; they called me a monster and ignored me. All because of something I can't control..." Gaara then lifted up his hand and sand came out from his gourd, twirling around me.

I smiled at him and touched his shoulder lightly. His eyes widened.

"My sand... It didn't stop you..."

I giggled slightly, "It's okay. I won't hurt you anyway. Unless you hurt my friends unnecessarily, that is. I feel the same way. I am only open to my Team but something makes me want to get to know you..."

He nodded and sat beside me. I then closed my eyes.

"Tell me... about your past. In return I'll tell you mine..." He whispered.

I nodded and told him everything. From hanging out with Hinata and Haku to the Gesshu Massacre. I told him about how I bottled my emotions inside and stayed away from socializing. I even told him my dream... he listened intently, watching me and even wiping a tear from my face when I cried. I could tell he was a nice person... He just had a bad childhood that made him stay away from others and put up a wall of hate. Sticking to our promise he told me of his past. It was sad... very sad... I noticed that the moon began to go down.

"I'll talk to you again sometime... Gaara-kun" I said, yawning slightly.

He nodded sadly, "Okay..."

I kissed his cheek and jumped back into my room, lying down on my bed. Sleep came automatically, pulling me into a dreamless sleep. The next day I woke up and got dressed, doing my morning routine I walked downstairs and decided to have a full breakfast. I ate eggs, bacon and pancakes. Well, they were sort of burnt but whatever it wasn't that noticeable. I attacked my kunai pouch to my leg and headed out, waving when I saw Gaara walking with his siblings. He waved back slightly and smiled so just I could see it. I returned it and ran to the training grounds, jumping into a tree. I closed my eyes and waited for people to come. Sasuke appeared next, leaning against a tree and ignoring Sakura who had somehow attached to his arm. Naruto came last, cramming Instant Ramen into his mouth and zipping up his orange jacket.

I caught a glimpse of his black undershirt. It clung to his body, showing off his flat upper body... EEEK! My cheeks were red now and I was fantasizing... NOOO! I got up and ran around the training grounds five times, trying hard to get that image out of my head... His perfect stomach... AHHH! _No no no no no no no!_ I couldn't get the image out of my head! I sat down and tried to calm down as Sasuke sent me a weird look. I then replayed what I did in my mind. I was jumping around, hitting my head on a tree after I ran... Hehe oops. That must have looked weird... Kakashi-sensei then suddenly appeared with four papers in his hands.

"KAKASHI-SENSEI! YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura and Naruto yelled.

"Heh, heh. Sorry 'bout that! A black cat crossed my path and-"

"Oh just get on with today's training." I said, chuckling and shaking my head.

"Oh, well you have today off. I decided that you guys are ready for the Chuunin Exams. These are the entry papers for it. The Chuunin Exams are when Genin from all villages meet in a certain place to participate in three tasks. If you make it past three tasks then you will become a Chuunin!"

"THANK YOU!" Naruto said, launching himself at Kakashi-sensei and hugging him.

"Hey! Don't get drool on my vest...!" Kakashi-sensei pushed Naruto off, clearing his throat, "If you decide to take the Chuunin Exams, -you don't have to if you don't want too-, then meet at the Academy five days from now at 7:00 a.m. Okay? Okay! I'll see you later!"

With a wave and a puff of smoke, Kakashi-sensei disappeared.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 part 1: The First Exam**

Five days after Kakashi-sensei told us about the Chuunin Exams I woke up at 6:00. I smiled slightly, remembering that this was the day the Chuunin Exams began. I got into the shower, smiling the whole time. I washed up with my strawberry scented body wash and then worked on my hair. Soon, I climbed out and got dressed in the new outfit I had bought. I put my headband on my neck and walked out of my bedroom, making a huge breakfast; cereal. I sighed and walked out of my apartment, waving at Ino and her group as they walked by. I closed my eyes and let rays of sun warm up my body before running to the academy. I got there just in time, noticing Naruto and Sasuke walking a couple feet away. I waved and ran at Sasuke, jumping on his back.

"Ooof. Oh. Hey, Mizuki." Sasuke said.

"Hmmmm!" I said as he walked up to the door, carrying me on his back.

I smiled at the glaring girls and got off his back, leaning against the wall.

"Hey, guys! I'm here!" Sakura yelled.

I waved and she glared.

_She still hates me?_ I thought.

"Okay! Are we all here?" Naruto said unnecessarily.

We all nodded and he punched the air, jumping up.

"Okay! Let's go!"

I pushed open the double-doors and we all walked up a flight of steps. In front of us now was a group of Genin, two people guarding Room 306. _Oh... that isn't right... This is a genjutsu. It's quite obvious._

"You're taking the Chuunin exams yet you can't get pass us," A guard said as a guy was thrown back.

"Why don't you give up now before you get hurt?" another said.

"Yeah I think I hear your mommy calling you."

"Please don't be harsh and let us through we're supposed to go inthere." a girl with brown hair in two buns said.

She walked to the door but the guard punched her in the face and she fell.

"Did you say harsh? Don't kid yourself we're been nice in comparison. The exams are going to make this look like a picnic."

"Some of you won't survive the exams, others will be wrecked for life and some of you may go crazy. For Chuunin it's always life or death."

"You think this is a joke. Chuunin are qualified to lead missions. The lives of your squad members are in your hands so be tough enough to take the heat. Delicate little girls don't belong here."

"We're just filling out the hurt so go home anyway and play with your dollies."

"Nice speech guys now both of you step aside and let me through and while you're at it reverse the genjutsu. We can see through your illusion. We're going to the third floor," Sasuke said.

"So you noticed the genjutsu huh?"

"Go ahead tell them Mizuki. I'm sure you saw it before anyone else did."

"Huh?" I asked since I had zoned out.

"You have the sharpest eyes and the best analytical skills on our squad. You must have seen this coming a mile away."

"Right. This is only the second floor. We have to go through that door to get to where we need to be" I replied.

"Right."

The genjutsu was disabled.

"Well aren't we the smart ones? You noticed an illusion. Now can you deal with this..." The guard kicked and so did Sasuke but someone grabbed their feet then let go.

"Hey what happened to the plan? I thought you were the one who said to keep a low profile and don't let anyone see our skill level." The bun girl exclaimed.

"I know but..." He looked at Sakura and blushed.

"Never mind forget it."

"My name is Rock Lee. Your Sakura right?"

"Huh?"

"Please be my girlfriend?" He gave her a thumbs up. "I vow to protect you with my life." His teeth sparkled.

"Defiantly not."

"Why?"

"Because you're weird."

Rock Lee looked at me, "Mizuki Gesshu right?"

"Uh… Yeah?"

"Will you be my girlfriend? I vow to protect you with my life."

_He sure bounces back, doesn't he?_

"Uh…"

He looked at me with puppy dog eyes.

"Um… well… you see… um… I… uh… well…" I stuttered, unable to say a complete sentence.

"Please?"

"Lee, leave Mizuki alone. She doesn't want to go out with you." someone else said, "Mr. Attitude what is your name?" the boy asked, turning his pale purple eyes to Sasuke.

Immediately, I recognized him as Neji Hyuuga, Hinata's cousin who used to tease me all the time.

"It's common courtesy to give your own name before asking someone else's." Sasuke said smoothly.

"You're a rookie aren't you? How old are you anyway?" Neji mused.

"I'm not obliged to answer."

"What's that?"

"Well this is turning out to be an interesting day," I said.

I looked over and saw Naruto and Lee sulking.

"Hey Sasuke, Naruto, Mizuki lets go," Sakura said. "We have to sign in."

I sighed as we continued walking down the hallway to the exam room. We walked into a big open room, heading towards the door on the opposite side.

"Hey you!"

I sighed and we all glanced up to the rail to see Lee there shouting at us.

"The one with the attitude! Hold on, Uchiha Sasuke!" he said over to him and I frowned slightly.

"What do you want?"I question bluntly not caring if I was rude.

He looked at me before looking back at Sasuke.

"I wish to fight you, Uchiha Sasuke, to see if I can win against the best!"

"You want to fight me...here and now?"Sasuke questioned looking up at the boy.

"Yes!" he confirmed jumping from the top landing softly on the ground.

"I am Rock Lee! Among sticklers, etiquette requires one to introduce oneself before asking for the name of another..."he says pointing over at Sasuke.

"Huh...?"I questioned, frowning slightly.

_I don't get one word the boy said. His eyebrows just kept staring at me. This guy gives me the creeps just by looking at him. _I thought.

"Huh... So you knew who I was all along," Sasuke stated looking at him asLee got in a stance.

"I'm calling you out!"he shouts at him glaring over at him determined, "I want to test the effectiveness of my techniques...against the last surviving member of your legendary clan. Besides..."

A yawn escaped my lips as I stuffed my hands in my pockets and glanced up again at the guys to see Lee looking over at me with a slight pink color on his face. I frowned tilting my head_._

_Is he blushing?_

He suddenly winked at me. My eyes widened and I took a step behind Naruto who looked at me, confused at my actions.

"So you're challenging me, even knowing my lineage? In other words, you're a fool," Sasuke said cockily looking over at him slightly annoyed.

I sighed.

_He is always so full of himself. The day he gets killed because of it he better not come to me crying. Well, he won't because he'll be, you know, dead._

"So, dog-brow...Do you really want to learn...what it means to be an Uchiha?" Sasuke questioned looking over at him.

"Absolutely!" Lee says with excitement and determination in his eyes.

"Hold it,"

Of course Naruto has to step into it.

"Let me handle dog-brow. He'll be toast. Just give me five minutes..." Naruto says looking at him with the same determination.

I sighed. This would not end well.

"I have no interest in fighting you. Only Uchiha," Lee states to him impatiently waiting to fight with Sasuke.

"Story of my freakin' life! It's 'Sasuke, this!' and 'Sasuke, that! 'Till I could just puke!" Naruto shouts in anger as he charges.

In one swift move, Naruto's rolling on the floor and crashes onto the wall.

"Gale force technique!"

My eyes widened slightly at that. _This guy...he's fast_.

"Mark my words...none of you will beat me. I...am the greatest fighter among all the junior ninja in Konoha village!" Lee declared to us.

I look up and over to see Sasuke getting ready to charge. I glanced at the clock and sighed.

"We only have about less than half an hour to submit the applications," I said over to him causing him to look at me but smirk as he charges.

"This will only take five minutes."

"Sakura-chan, Mizuki-chan! Watch me! Once you see my power you will fall in love with me!" Lee yelled, fire burning in his eyes.

He then winked at us, hearts forming and flying at us.

"Ahh!" I screamed, weaving around the massive number of hearts coming at me.

"Do you want to fight of not..." Sasuke said, taking out a kunai and twirling it on his finger.

He then stopped it and ran at Lee, jumping in the air and sending a downwards kick at him. Lee blocked it, sending a kick back at him. Sasuke jumped back, punching forward. He missed. Kick. Miss. Punch. Miss. Upper cut. Miss. Upwards kick. Miss. Sasuke growled, mad that he couldn't hit Lee. My eyes widened as he punched forward so fast I couldn't even see it. I just saw Sasuke fly through the air, rolling on the floor and grunting. A minute or two later, he got back up and glared, activating his Sharingan.

"Omg! Go Sasuke!" Sakura squealed, jumping up and down.

Sasuke ran at Lee again, a new type of confidence about him. But, although he had his Sharingan, I knew it wouldn't work. Lee used taijutsu so even if he could see Lee's moves better it wouldn't help. His body can't keep up. Just as I thought that, Lee kicked backwards, hitting Sasuke up in the air. He then jumped up to meet him, unraveling some wrap around his arms.

_He's not going to use... It can't be...!_

"How do you..!" Sasuke exclaimed his eyes widening as Lee began to wrap him.

"Your Sharingan doesn't work on me! I only use taijutsu!"

Suddenly, before Lee could do anything else, his wrap was bound to the wall by a kunai. Lee gasped and finished his move without it.

"Leaf Hurricane!" he yelled, kicking down.

His foot collided with Sasuke's stomach and he went flying down to the ground.

"Sasuke!" I yelled, running over to him and catching him.

Since he was so heavy we ended up falling backwards.

"Ooof. Sasuke! Get off meh!" I gasped out.

He got up and growled again, shaking. We walked back over to Sakura and a now conscious laughing Naruto.

"Lee! You are forbidden to use that technique!" a voice said.

I looked around to the speaker and laughed_. It was a turtle...? _The turtle glared at Lee and kept scolding him.

"You should have known better Lee!" a different voice said.

The cloud of smoke that had suddenly appeared cleared up slightly. Our eyes widened (except for Lee) to the size of dinner plates. My jaw dropped.

"Another one?"

A man in a green spandex jumpsuit and bowl cut hair stood in a weird pose, looking just like Lee but older.

"No way! He's got bigger and bushier eyebrows than that Lee guy!" Naruto muttered, twitching.

"Hey! Don't insult Gai-sensei like that!" Lee said, glaring at him with his round eyes.

Gai laughed heartily and pointed thumbs up at us, smiling and showing his white teeth.

"No! He's looking over here!" Sakura whispered, not moving.

"Maybe he's looking at someone behind us?" Sasuke said, his eyes still wide.

I looked backwards.

"No! There's just a wall behind us! Ahh! He's walking over here! No!"

"You four must be Kakashi's team I've been hearing about!" Gai said, laughing and wiggling his huge eyebrows.

I twitched and Sakura got up the nerve to talk.

"Y-yeah, but who are you?"

"But of course you know me! Kakashi must talk about me a lot! He's my biggest rival! I'm beating him 32 to 31!"

We all stared at him blankly, still not remembering anything about him. He flailed his arms and turned back to Lee, making us all sigh in relief. But, we weren't prepared for what was going to happen next.

"I told you not to use that technique, Lee! I'll have to punish you!"

Gai then punched Lee in the face, sending him flying and skidding on the floor.

"Oh, Lee! I'm sorry!"

"Gai-sensei!"

Gai then ran over to Lee and... **HUGGED** him? Okay, I was lost now. These two were just so weird that I didn't even know how to react.

"Oh, Lee. Let's just go run fifty laps into the sunset!"

"Yes sensei!"

"Weird!" Sasuke, Sakura and I said, leaning backwards.

"It's kind of sweet..." Naruto said.

We looked at him in disbelief and he chuckled nervously.

"Never mind! Forget I said anything!"

"Hey, don't you have to register for the Chuunin Exams?" I said, looking at the clock and then the weird couple.

"Oh yeah! Lee, we'll finish this later! Go register and make me proud!" Gai said, smiling at him and giving him thumbs up.

Lee nodded and mimicked the pose.

_Ugh..._

"C'mon, guys. I think it's time we leave." I said, turning away.

The nodded and we walked away, going to register.

* * *

><p>When we had finally registered, it was time to wait for the First Exam to start. We walked to the door separating us from the other Genin. I took a deep breath, readying myself. Sasuke opened the door and we all gasped. Covering the whole area were tons on Genin. Some had lip, nose, or ear piercings. Some wore fishnet t-shirts and shorts. Others had weird equipment. I noticed some and labeled them as Sound Ninja. I would keep an eye on them from now on, something wasn't right. They looked at me and Sasuke weirdly. I kept walking with my teammates, though.<p>

"Sasuke-kun! How I've missed your good looks!" an annoying voice squealed out. I looked backwards and saw Ino Yamanaka glomping Sasuke. I shook my head and sighed. Fan girls... I thought as Ino and Sakura fought over Sasuke... again.

"Oh, it's you guys. I knew it was going to be annoying but I didn't think it would be this lame." I heard a voice say beside me.

I looked over and smiled. Shikamaru and Choji stood there, Choji eating chips like usual and Shikamaru being his lazy self.

"Well well well, what do you know? All the Leaf Ninja Rookies together again?" Kiba said, walking over to Sasuke, "At least I know were gunna make it out right?"

"Don't get to cocky..." Sasuke said, frowning.

"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto said, smiling at Hinata.

I stiffened. _Hinata?_ I turned to look at her but then looked away.

"H-hi, N-Naruto-kun"

Akamaru barked and leaped off Kiba's head, lunging at me. I smiled and opened my arms automatically, Akamaru molding perfectly into them.

"Hey there, Akamaru!" I cooed, scratching behind his ears. His foot twitched as he licked my face, barking happily. I then rubbed my nose against his."You're so cute!" I cooed again.

I then gave him back to Kiba. I looked over at Naruto when he started shaking.

_Naruto's... scared?_ I thought in wonder, my eyes slowly widening. But no, I was wrong. Oh so wrong.

"_I'M__NARUTO UZUMAKI! I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU ALL DOWN! ONE BY ONE_**!**" he suddenly yelled, pumping his fist in the air.

I smack my forehead at the same time as Sasuke did, in disbelief of his stupidity. Sakura growled and punched the back of his head while Shikamaru complained. I sighed and watched Naruto jump up from the floor, his eyes burning. I looked around and gulped. Because of Naruto's outburst, everyone was glaring at us. I sweat dropped.

"Ahh! I feel so much better now!"

I giggled softly at his hyperness and watched Choji step towards Kiba.

"Hey..." Shino said, stepping suddenly in front of Choji.

"Huh? What?" Choji exclaimed, eating another chip.

"I think you didn't see the bug right beside you... You were about to step on it..."

I shivered slightly. _Bugs and I don't mix... _

I nearly jumped ten feet in the air when someone's voice spoke from beside me, "You know, you shouldn't really exclaim to the world that you're going to take us all down one by one. All of the ninja are tense enough already... You shouldn't make them anymore edgier"

I turned around and saw a boy around the age of sixteen with gray hair pulled up in a ponytail, his leaf headband on his forehead with bangs over it. He wore a gray shirt with a purple one over it and purple arm warmers on his arms. He pushed his round black-rimmed glasses up from the bridge of his nose and smiled.

"Hi, I'm Kabuto."

_Whoa... Never saw him before..._ I thought.

"You seem a bit... old for the Chuunin Exams... don't 'cha think?" Shikamaru commented, eyeing Kabuto lazily.

"Heh, heh. You see, I'm a bit of a veteran I guess..." Kabuto replied.

"So... you've don't this exam before?" Sakura asked hopefully, looking interested for answers.

"Well, yeah. I've done it seven times."

Half of our group sweat dropped while the other just fell over in shock.

"Seven times?" Naruto exclaimed.

"Haha, yeah. I've learned quite a lot, if you want to know something about someone, I can tell you." Kabuto then pulled out a deck of blank cards, "Just tell me either what village there from or their name."

I looked over in surprise when Sasuke walked forward from beside me, coming to a halt in front of Kabuto, "Rock Lee from the leaf and Sabaku no Gaara from the sand."

"Oh, that's easy. Ok first up is Rock Lee... Looks like he's a year older than you guys. Mission experience: 11 C ranked missions and 20 D ranked missions. His squad leader is Guy and in the last 12 months his taijutsu has erratically improved. His other skills are pretty shaky. Last year he got a lot of attention as a Genin and for some reason he chose not to participate in the Chuunin exams. This will be his first time as a candidate same as you guys. His team mates are TenTen and Neji Hyuuga."

"Huh Hyuuga?"

"Ok and now for Gaara of the desert... Mission experience: 8 C rankedand, get this, one B ranked as a Genin. There isn't a lot of more information on this guy. He was a rookie from another land originally  
>but there is this...he survived every mission without getting a single scratch on him."<p>

"The dudes done a B rank as a Genin and has never been injured."

"What's the deal with this guy?"

My eyes widened and I spotted Gaara glancing at me from across the room. I smiled slightly and fought the urge to go over to him.

"Hey, four eyes!" A voice said, bringing me out of my trance, "Put this on your little cards! The Sound Ninja are going to become Chunnin!"

Kabuto said something, but I couldn't hear it. Or anything, for that matter. It felt like earplugs were in my ears. My eyesight was fixed on Gaara's sea foam ones. Our eyes locked.

Chieko's voice sounded in my ear, _'It's the one tailed raccoon dog demon. He's an old friend. When you touch the boy, a connection forms between us and we slightly come out.'_

_'Oh,'_ I replied, _'that clears things up.'_

I then noticed my surroundings. A man stood in front of Kabuto and the weird sound ninja.

"Okay, there should be no fighting unless I allow you to do so." the man said, "I am Ibiki Morono, your First Exam proctor! If I catch you fighting you will be kicked out. Got it? Good! Now, come into the room and sit in your assigned spot."

We all piled in and took our seats. I was sitting a row behind Naruto and beside some random guy with tons of piercings. I was lucky enough to be by the window. I placed my chin on my open palm with my elbow on the desk. I then listened to the faint buzz that came from the lights. I could slightly hear Ibiki's rough, demanding voice...

"Alright Rule number 1 is this...the written part of the exam is conducted on a point reduction system. Normally to what some of you may be used to you all begin the test with a perfect score of 10 points. 1 point will be deducted for each answer you get wrong so if you miss 3 your final score will be 7," Ibiki said. "Rule Number 2… teams will pass or fail on the total scores of all 3 members."

"Wait a second! You're saying we all get scored as a team!" Sakura yelled.

"Silence!" Ibiki yelled. "I have my reasons so shut up and listen. Rule number 3: the sentinels you see positioned the room are there to watch you carefully for any signs of cheating and for every incident they spot they'll deduct 2 marks from the culprits score. Be warned their eyes are extremely sharp and if they catch you 5 times you'll be dismissed before the tests are even scores. Anyone foolish enough to be caught cheating by the sentinels doesn't deserve to be here...if you want to be considered shinobi show us what exceptional shinobi you can be. One more thing if any candidate should get a 0 they'll fail the test then the entire team fails."

"What'd he say?" Sakura yelled.

"The final question won't be given out until the 15 minutes before the end of the testing period. You'll have 1 hour...Begin!"

I looked down and noticed a sheet of paper in front of me. I picked up my pencil and turned over my paper, scanning over the questions. I stared blankly at the page.

_This is impossible for genin to do... Only... Yes! I get it! Were supposed to cheat! Since he said __**if **__we were caught, that means we have to be sneaky and make sure we aren't noticed cheating! Smart!_ I activated my Molani, looking unnoticeably at the guy to my right and noticed him writing at an alarming speed. I quickly copied it at a pace just as quick as his. I smirked. _Too easy..._ I got to answer five... six... seven... eight...ni- BANG!

"That's five times, bub. You and your teammates? Get up and leave."

A kunai had slipped past Naruto to pierce the desk a boy was sitting in. The boy was shaking like a leaf... But he still got up defiantly.

"No way! How can you see everyone at once! You have got to be kidding me!"

A Chunnin quickly appeared in front of the boy, slamming him into the wall and growled loud enough for me to hear, "Your out. I saw you. Don't make me take you out with force."

The boy then was shoved towards the door, his disappointed teammates behind him. Just like that people began dropping off. It was random, no one would know if they were caught or not until it was too late. Everything was quiet but when they would be caught and shoved out unwillingly. I looked at the clock. _5...4...3...2...1..._

"Put down your pencils. Your first 9 questions are over. Now that we weeded out most of the hopeless cases 15 minutes to go. Time for the main event...Alright listen up! Here's the 10th and final question!" Ibiki said. "But before I give you the question there are some rules you need to be aware of... These rules are unique to question10...Listen carefully and try not to let them frighten you… Well then Rule number 1 each of you is free not to be given the final question it's your decision."

"Wow, so what's the catch?" Temari asked. "Let's say we decide not to do it what happens then?"

"If you choose not to take the 10th question doubtless of your answers for the other 9 you'll get a zero. In other words you fail and that means of course both your team mates fail as well. If you do accept the question but answer it incorrectly you will not only fail...you will be banned from taking the Chuunin exam ever again!"

"Hey that's bull man!" Kiba yelled, "That's ridiculous! What kind of bogus rule is that? There are a lot of people here who have taken the test before." Akamaru barked.

"I guess you're just unlucky. I wasn't making the rules before but I am now of course if you don't want to take it you don't have to. If you're not feeling confident than by all means skip it you can come back and try again next year. Now then if you're ready the 10th and final question...those who don't want to take it raise your hand...Your number will be recorder then you'll be free to go."

A few people left. Naruto was about to raise hand but stopped. He then raised his hand again, higher this time.

_No!_I thought.

He slammed his hand down on the table, "Don't underestimate me! I don't quit and I don't run! You can act tough all you want! You guys aren't gonna scare me off! No way! I don't care it I'm a  
>Genin for the rest of my life!" Naruto yelled as he stood up, "I'll still be the next Hokage!" He sat down again.<p>

"This decision is one that can change your life. If for any reason you would rather quit now's your chance."

"No way have I ever gone back on my word. That's the way of the ninja."

"Well then I admire your determination and nothing else. For those of you remaining there's only one thing left to do and that's for me to tell you... That you all passed the first exam."

"What?" I yelled.

"Hold on! What just happened? What do you mean we passed? Where's the10th question?" Sakura yelled.

"There never was one... well never a written one at least. Actually your decision to stay was the answer to the 10th question."

"Wait a second so the other 9 questions you gave us are just a waste of time is that what you're saying?" Temari asked

"Let me explain you see my objective was to test you not only as individuals but as a team and how well you function's part of that team. That's why the test was scored on a team basis so you know everything you did or failed to do directly affect your team mates. I wanted to see if you can handle the pressure."

"Yeah I figured something like that and that why I kept my cool,"Naruto said.

"The first 9 questions of the test were difficult in fact as you may have realized too difficult for any Genin to be expected to solve...I imagine that most of you quickly came to the conclusion to cheat if you had any chance of passing. The fact is the test was designed to encourage cheating. It almost demanded it...of course it would have done little good unless you had someone to cheat from. I disguised 2 Chuunin who already knew the answers and had them sit in with you."

"Oh come on I wasn't fooled for a second. You have to be a completed dufus not to see it. Isn't that right Hinata?" Naruto said.

I rolled my eyes.

"Those who were caught at it failed. Better not to cheat then to cheat clumsily..." HE took off his hat, "Information it can be the most valuable weapon in battle. How well you gather information can determine whether the mission was a failure or a success...There'll be times where you'll risk your life to get it..."

I picked my nails and zoned out of what he was saying, watching a bee zoom crookedly outside the window. I blew a strand of hair out of my face and watched as it gave up and flew away. I closed my eyes and sighed in content. I opened them again and saw a blur of black. I nearly passed out when the glass broke and a lady came in, a huge banner in front of her.

"Hello! I'm Anko and I'll be your 2nd examiner!"

She smiled really wide... it was kind of creepy. She looked around and her eyes widened, her smile getting wider... if that was even possible.

"Wow, Ibiki! There are so many people left! 26 teams? Are you getting soft?"

She then landed on the person behind me's desk.

_Woow. This is going to be a really, __**really**__ long day._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Second Exam: The Forest of Death!

"Whoa, nice place. What is it?" Naruto asked.

A/N:

Author-chan has something to say!

Author-chan: There is a mini part in this chapter that isn't very appropriate for younger viewers. It isn't too bad, but it might disturb people, depending on their tolerance level. I put a warning where it starts, so if you wanna skip it, you can ^^ That is all!

Black Ice Chapter 10

The Forest of Death

After Anko had broken down the window she talked to us about the next exam, she didn't exactly explain what we were doing, she just said that there would be at most half of the teams that were still here to make it. It made me nervous, but I know we can pull through.

"This is the location for the 2nd phase of the exam. It's the 44thbattle training zone but we call it the forest of death." Anko replied.

"The Forest of... Death?" Naruto echoed.

"Pleasant…" I mumbled.

"This whole place completely freaks me out," Sakura said.

"It should. They call it the forest of death and soon enough you'll find out why." Anko replied

Naruto stuck out his butt and shook it, "They call it the forest of death and soon enough you'll find out why!" He imitated. "Do your worst you're not going to scare me away. I can handle anything!"

"So looks like we got ourselves a tough guy..." She threw a kunai and it grazed Naruto's cheek.

I jumped away.

Anko appeared behind Naruto, "Are you tough enough to handle this? You're not afraid are you? Guys like you usually leave there blood all over this forest."

A grass ninja appeared behind Anko, "I was just returning your knife..." His tongue was wrapped around the kunai.

A shiver ran down my spine. _Who is this girl? She's creeping me out_, I thought.

"Why thank you grass ninja…You know I really only recommend you stand this close behind me if you wish to reach your premature end..." She took the kunai.

"My pardon with the sight of blood on your blade sliding through my hair...I'm afraid I got a little excited I meant you no harm."

Naruto started to shake his tongue randomly around. I stared at him and he stopped.

"Seems like everyone here today is quick tempered. It's something in the air…This is going to be fun," Anko said.

"Some of you may not come back from this test and I have to have your sent for that risk otherwise it will be my responsibility…Now I'll explain what you'll be doing on this test. The first thing you need to  
>know is that this test will test everyone on your survival skills.<p>

"First..." Anko said as she pulled out a map, "I'll give you all a description of the terrain on the practice field. The 44th battle training zone has 44 locked entrance gates. There are rivers and a forest inside. In the centre is a large locked tower located 10kmsfrom each gate. It's in this confined area you'll undergo the survival test...The test consists of and anything goes battle to get your hands on these..." Anko took out two scrolls.

"Both of them?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes you'll be fighting to get both a Heaven scroll and an Earth scroll...Altogether 28 teams will take part in this test so half of them teams will be going after the Heaven scroll and the other half will be trying to get the Earth scroll...I'll hand over one scroll to each team and that's what you'll be dying for."

"Ok so how do we pass the test?"

"Your entire squad must bring both a Heaven and an Earth scroll to the tower."

"That means that half of us will fail... More if not every team gets both the scrolls."

"No one said it would be easy oh and one more thing the test has a time limit. You must finish it within 5 days."

"5 days out there!" Ino yelled.

"What are we supposed to do for food?" Choji yelled.

"People obviously don't get the point of the word survival," I said.

"You should look around the forest is plenty of things to eat."

"Yeah but that's not all the forest is full of. There are man-eating beasts and poisonous plants in there," Kabuto said.

"Aw man!" Choji said.

"Quiet down. This is what survival is you know," Ino said.

"That means with these circumstances there's no way half the teams will pass the test."

"With the days getting longer the nights getting shorter...so we will have less time to sleep and less time to recover. It is a challenge indeed..." Lee said, his teeth sparkling.

"Completely surrounded by enemies. There won't be time to rest you have to keep a constant watch." I muttered quietly

"That's right. This test also measures endurance behind enemy lines. This is designed to be a group test and I'm sure some of you aren't up to the challenge."

"So mmm let's say in the exam can we quit?" Shikamaru asked.

"Of course not! In the middle of a battle you can't say sorry I quit. Well I guess you could but it will probably get you killed," Anko said.

"Oh just great. This is gunna be such a drag."

"There are also some ways you can get disqualified the first is simple if all 3 members of a team can't make it to the tower with both scrolls after 5 days. Number 2: If a team loses a member or if a  
>member becomes incapacitated and cannot continue but most important none of you and absolutely none of you may look at the contents of the scrolls until you reached the tower."<p>

"What if it just happens to fly open and you read it?" Naruto asked.

"Let me put it to you this way little man. You don't want to know!"

"Gahhh" Naruto said cowering behind me.

I just turned and stared at him until he walked back up beside me.

"There are times when a ninja will be attacked to carry secret documents. The scroll rule is to test your integrity ok we're done each team take your consent form and exchange them over there for your scrolls. After that each team pick a gate and you'll be let inside…Oh and one word of advice...just don't die." Anko said eerily.

_I see how it is. You don't know which team will have which scroll and we won't know which of the team members is carrying the scroll...Stealing information is really a matter of life and death...It's just as Ibiki said. Everyone is equally determined to pass and all of them my enemies,_I thought as Sasuke, Sakura, and Naruto joined me in line.

I signed my name on the form that said that we don't blame Anko if we die as the line moved. Sasuke and I sat down next to a rock. I waited until the line got short enough to go to it.

"Come on, it's our turn now." I stood up and then Sasuke stood up.

We walked into a small room with Naruto and Sakura and handed in our forms. Naruto picked up a scroll and put it in his pocket.

"Listen up all teams have received there scrolls so everybody go to your gate and wait there. When the gates open the test is on."

We walked over to gate twelve.

"Believe it I'm daring you to bring it on Ninja. I'll just send it right back twice as hard!" Naruto said.

We walked into the forest, our senses all on alert. I looked around cautiously, making sure I knew that we were safe and not surrounded by ninja way more skilled that we are.

"AAAHHHHH!" I heard someone scream from far away.

My head snapped over in that direction. _Wow... already? It's just five minutes into the exam and someone's already hurt._ I fingered a kunai and glanced around again.

"Hey guys..." Naruto suddenly said, looking over at us nervously.

"What is it, Naruto?" I asked, glancing around again to see if he caught something I didn't.

"...I really gotta pee!"

I face palmed. _Really, Naruto? _I thought in disbelief. He never ceases to ama- annoy me. Naruto grabbed his crotch and started jumping around, whining.

"NARUTO! GO YOU BAKA! NOO! NOT HERE! GO INTO THE TREE'S OR SOMETHING!" Sakura added when he started to unzip his pants.

I sighed in slight annoyance and took a seat on a rock. Seven minutes later he returned... but something about him was different. His scar on his cheek... it's gone... his shuriken holster is on the wrong side... It must be an imposter!

"Whoa! I think I peed so much that I wrote my own name!" 'Naruto' said, grinning and chuckling.

I growled and stood up, getting in a fighting stance and pulling out a kunai. Sasuke glanced over at me and took out one as well. I charged at 'Naruto' and punched him hard in the face, sending him flying backwards and into a tree.

"Whoa! Mizuki, why did you hit him? It doesn't really matter that he took that long." Sakura exclaimed, looking at me incredulously.

"Yeah, Mizuki. What's your problem?"

"Shut up... you impostor. The real Naruto is right handed. So why is your shuriken holster on the opposite side?" I said.

"And the real Naruto had a scar on his cheek. You're an even worst replicator than the real Naruto. Show yourself!" Sasuke finished.

He then attacked the impostor that turned out to be a rain ninja when he released his Jutsu. I jumped over to where Naruto had disappeared and began to look for him. I found him tied up be a tree, struggling. I walked over to him and cut him out with a kunai, helping him up.

"Thanks, Mizuki! I owe ya one!" Naruto exclaimed, stretching.

"No problem..." I replied turning away so he couldn't see my slightly pink cheeks.

We both turned and walked back to Sasuke and Sakura. We all began to walk until Sasuke had an idea. He told us all to huddle up into a circle so he could tell us.

"We need to have a password. We can't trust each other blindly like this. The same thing that happened to Naruto could happen to one of us, and maybe we won't be so lucky next time. So, if we are separated and find each other again we will ask, 'What is the poem Niki?' then, the other person will reply: We thrive in the Chaos of the Enemy tide. The quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait... until the enemy lowers the gate. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it. Good thinking, Sasuke." I replied.

"Couldn't we have an easier password? Like... I don't know... swordfish?" Naruto complained.

"No."

"Wow, Naruto. I already have it memorized. It's so easy!" Sakura bragged, smirking.

"Haha I was kidding! I already got it memorized, too."

Suddenly a kunai came out of nowhere and slashed Naruto's cheek. I looked over at him as a gust of wind picked up, nearly sweeping me off my feet. I planted my feet firmly on the ground. Dust rose up and got in my eyes, blinding me. I was suddenly pulled backwards by strong arms into the safety of the bushes. Acting quickly, I flipped myself over the person and pulled out a kunai, pressing it to their neck I looked closely. Duck butt hair... Sasuke! Or is it...

"What is the poem Niki?" I asked, still holding 'Sasuke' by the neck with my kunai.

"We thrive in the Chaos of the Enemy tide. The quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait... until the enemy lowers the gate." Sasuke replied.

I sighed and let him go, putting my kunai back into its holster.

"We got separated... again." I said, walking back out of the bushes with Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun!" 'Sakura' screamed, running over to us.

I got into a fighting stance.

"What is the poem Niki?" Sasuke asked, making 'Sakura' halt in her steps.

"Oh, that's easy! We thrive in the Chaos of the Enemy tide. The quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait... until the enemy lowers the gate." She sort of sang, smiling widely.

"Good." Sasuke replied, nodding.

"Where's Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"We don't know. We were coming to find you and Naruto in the first place." I replied, taking out a kunai, again.

"Okay..."

Naruto then walked out.

"Hey, guys! Oh, the password? We thrive in the Chaos of the Enemy tide. The quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait... until the enemy lowers the gate."

I sighed_**. **__Again?_ I threw a kunai at 'Naruto'.

"I know you're an impostor. You may have copied Naruto completely, but you didn't get his personality. He would never remember such a long password as that. That's the main reason the password was so long. Right, Sasuke?"

He nodded and smirked. Suddenly, the impostor giggled. _Weird..._ It released the Jutsu, revealing the female ninja that had the freakishly long tongue. My eyes widened and she giggled again, taking out her Heaven Scroll.

"You guys have an Earth Scroll, right? Do you... want this? Well, you'll have to fight me for it!"

She giggled and... Ate the scroll? Yes, she ate it. She wrapped her tongue around it as she pushed it down her throat. I slightly gagged and got into a fighting stance.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." She said, tugging her left eye down.

Darkness surrounded me.

_**(Warning: sort of scary but not really)**_

_I ran through my Clan's shops, seeing the dead faces, all turned to me. They cried out to me, wanting me to save them. I couldn't... I kept running, out of fear and shock. I kept running until I reached my house, throwing open the door and darting in. I looked franticly around, seeing blood all over the walls and screams coming from everywhere. I also saw body parts... fingers, toes and bloody bones. I gasped, running forward into the last room. There, were four people... if you could call them that. My parents were leaned against the wall, their arms and legs cut off and thrown to the side. Their glazed over eyes held pain and suffering. Then, I saw my little sisters, Mai and Jade. They were hanging from the ceiling by their arms, swinging eerily. Their eyes were wide open and... Staring straight at me... Their mouths opened and began to... _

_"NO!" I screamed, "THIS ISN'T REAL! IT ISN'T REAL!"_

I became slightly aware of my surroundings. I was on my knees, sitting on a piece of bark. _I need to snap out of it!_ I thought. I then grabbed a kunai, ramming it into my arm. Fortunately, it brought me completely into reality. I was screaming and shaking like a leaf, although my screaming was muted until it was unnoticeable. Sasuke had clamped his hand around my mouth, cutting off the noise of my screaming. I looked up at him and saw that he was shaking as well. I sat up and nodded at him, breathing in shakily.

"Sasuke, watch out!" Sakura yelled as she pulled Sasuke's hand off her mouth.

We all jumped away.

"Unbelievable, I didn't even notice! I'm losing it!" Sasuke yelled.

"Sasuke, calm down!" I yelled.

The snake tried to bite at us. "No! Stay away!" Sasuke yelled throwing shuriken at it.

We both landed on another branch, panting. "I think… you need to deal with… your… snake fears," I said. Sasuke ignored me. We watched as the ninja came out from the snake. "She just keeps getting creepier."

"I sense your fear and desperation," She said, "It's only natural. The prey must never let down its guard not even for a moment. Not in the presence of its predator."

"I'm not sure I like being referred to as prey," I said.

She started running up the tree toward me and Sasuke but she was almost hit by kunai and shuriken.

"Looks like I came just in time!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto!" I yelled.

"Oh and by the way… what was that password again?"

"We know it's you. No point in using the password," I said.

"Naruto! Get out of here! What are you thinking? You don't know what you're up against! Hurry go now! While you still can!"

"Obviously you don't either, Sasuke. We're gunna need all the help we can get," I said.

"You should listen to that girl," The ninja said. "So, Naruto, you managed to escape from my friend. Well done."

"Okay okay, I don't know what's going on here, but you've been picking on my friends and I don't like that. So you just better slither back into your hole, snake lady, before I make a pair of shoes out of you!" Naruto yelled.

I took out a kunai and ran at the ninja, pulling my arm back. I jumped to the left to avoid her kick, ducking low and kicking upwards. She blocked my kick with her arm, grabbing my leg and swinging me to a tree. I flipped and landed in a crouching position on it. I leapt again, spinning. I made hand signs.

"Earth Style: Earth Bolder Jutsu!" I yelled, waving my arms forwards when earth boulders appeared.

The ninja easily blocked it, smirking and licking her lips.

"Oh yes, you'll do nicely.

_What?_ I thought, continuing to fight her. Sasuke joined in, helping me tie her to a tree. We both did our fire Justus's but she managed to escape. She smirked and appeared in front of me. _So fast_! I thought. She punched me in the face, sending me crashing through a couple trees. I groaned and slid down the tree, landing with a thud on the earth. My vision got hazy and I lay there stiffly, waiting for the nausea to pass. Suddenly I heard Sasuke's scream. I quickly looked up to see the ninja biting his neck. _Wait… is that a guy? Oh my gosh, it's Orochimaru!_ I thought. I frantically ran at Sasuke, leaping from tree to tree. I landed in front of him, pushing him backwards to shelter him.

"I have a special gift for you, my dear." Orochimaru said, licking his lips and extending his neck to me.

I screamed and turned, running away. I ran up a tree, flipping backwards off of it when his neck started to come up. I landed on his neck, driving it into the ground. I then leapt up, dodging his body as it was pulled back to his head. I ran on the tree branch, leaping higher when his neck extended again.

"Resistant, are we?" a voice said above me. I

I looked up and my eyes widened. Orochimaru was in front of me, his mouth inches from my neck. I was restrained from behind. I trembled.

"Stop this!" I yelled, desperately kicking.

He easily dodged my kicks, leaning closer. He bit just above my collar bone, turning to bite the right and left side of my neck. He licked the bite marks and smirked, jumping backwards as I collapsed. I tried to hold in the pain until he left.

"I know I will be seeing you, Mizuki. Sasuke too. You will seek me out for the power that you both so desire."

I glared at him as he sunk into a tree. When I thought he was gone I let the pain wash over me, screaming as loud as I could. I panted, barely able to keep my head upwards. Sakura appeared beside me. She said something but I was too tired to read her lips. I let out one final scream before the darkness completely took over me.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: Power**

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

_I can't take care of them all! Naruto, Mizuki, and Sasuke-kun, please wake up! I don't know that's wrong with them! Well, I know that Naruto got knocked out and that Orochimaru put something on the weird markings on his stomach... But Sasuke-kun and Mizuki! Sasuke has this weird purple aura around him, it's thick and threatening, but it's nothing to Mizuki's. Hers is pitch black and it takes up most of this cave! I can't keep her from feeling pain... I know I'm supposed to hate her but since she's started opening up, it's been harder and harder. She really is a likeable person... If only Naruto wasn't so reckless! Then I would at least have some help!_

I looked to the left and saw a squirrel. _Oh no_! I thought, _if it gets any closer, it'll set off my trap!_

* * *

><p><strong>Mizuki's P.O.V.<strong>

Pain overwhelmed me. I couldn't move my body, see anything, or hear anything. I hated it. I never liked being held still, not hearing anything or not seeing anything. I was used to the darkness, it comforted me. But now it was unbearable. Suddenly light slid in, illuminating everything around me with a dim light. I looked around but all I could see was an ice floor. When I looked closer, I could see a black, thick looking fluid. It slowly poured over the floor, covering the ice with its putrid color. I slowly made its way to me, pooling around my feet. I struggled to move away, something about it made me feel weird, like something awakening in me. As soon as the liquid began to creep up my feet, pain erupted. I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out, nor did my mouth move. My eyes widened in horror as it crept higher, coiling itself around my body. As if finally reached my waist, it began to protrude outwards, forming what looked like a tail. My back began to throb in pain as it curled, snaking higher.

It reached my shoulders and stretched out slowly, sliding down my arms. As it wrapped around my fingers, it protruded there also, sharp but hardly noticeable claws forming. I was slightly aware of it wrapping around my neck, heading behind my head to swallow my hair, which clung to my skin. At the top of my head, it protruded there as well, forming ears, my others invisible with the liquid around them, blocking out any sound I could have heard. It finally began to cover my face, making me in hail its scent. I expected it to smell horribly, I expected it to shove up my nose and kill me, but no. It smelled like...

**Blood.**

The only thing that wasn't covered was my mouth and eyes, and then it was too late. The liquid went into my mouth, making my teeth grow sharper, stronger. The liquid went down my throat, making it burn. I stood there as I felt the liquid moving around in me, making me feel strange, like I wanted to kill. My eyes opened wider and suddenly, white light surrounded me, freezing the liquid and cracking it. Then, it shattered. The light ebbed slowly away, the pain disappearing slowly. And then, without any warning, I opened my eyes to the real world.

* * *

><p>I sat up and looked around. I could feel my tail swishing behind me. I was in a cave... I looked to my left to see Sasuke looking at me, smirking. I smirked back and my ears flicked. I could hear talking outside. I gracefully stood, signaling with a flick of my tail that I wanted Sasuke to follow. I walked to the cave entrance and my eyes widened slightly at what I saw. Sakura was on her knees in the middle of the clearing, her hair cut. It was scattered around her, the shiny pink strands circling her beaten body. She looked tired and weak, like she could barely stand.<p>

"Never mind. I see that this fight isn't mine, but Sakura's teammates, Mizuki and Sasuke." Neji said, looking at us with blank eyes.

He looked at me and his eyes narrowed, but I easily ignored it. I then realized that pretty much every team was here. Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Rock Lee, TenTen and Neji. The only team that was missing was Hinata's team.

"Sakura..." I began.

"Who did this to you?" Sasuke finished, glaring slightly.

Sakura's head snapped over to look at us, her eyes widening.

"Mizuki... Sasuke-kun... Are you... okay?"

"We're fine." Sasuke replied, "I can feel the power... flowing through me. I understand now. I am an avenger, and I believe Mizuki is the same way."

I nodded, a smirk growing on my lips. We walked out of the cave entrance, the sun that shone overhead lighting up our black hair, making it shine even through the weird smoke-like thing that surrounded us. Although mine was pitch black and suffocating, I didn't feel it. I knew Sasuke's was a different version; I didn't have to look for the obvious.

"Sakura. Who did this to you?" I repeated, cutting out small talk short.

My gaze flickered to a wounded Lee. He was crouched on the floor, slightly supported by TenTen. But even then, I could see the determination to beat Sasuke and love for me. I shuddered slightly and looked away, glaring at Sakura.

"I'm only going to ask one more time, Sakura. Who did this to you?" Sasuke nearly yelled.

"We did!" a voice suddenly yelled.

My head snapped to the side and my eyes narrowed.

"No, Zaku! Can't you see that we are no match for them?" another guy said.

Zaku just smirked and made some hand signs, holding his arm out in front of him.

"Air Style: Sound Exploding Jutsu!"

A huge tornado of wind picked up, heading straight to Sakura and the others. Acting fast, me and Sasuke grabbed everyone and took them behind the trees so they wouldn't be hurt.

"Heh, heh. Blew them all away, didn't I?"

"Blew who away?" I whispered in his ear, appearing behind him.

His body went stiff and he looked over his shoulder, his eyes widening. I kicked him forwards so he was on his knees and jumped back towards Sasuke. I looked meaningfully at him and he nodded, breaking into a run as soon as I did. I leapt 3 feet off the ground and Sasuke grabbed my leg as I leapt, spinning around expertly on his feet and throwing my like a rag doll (easily). I flew through the air and pulled back my fist, twirling around. I flew towards Zaku at an alarming rate and punched him in the face, sending him through five trees. I looked over to see Sasuke punching a girl in the air, appearing in front of her and grabbing her, slamming her into a wall of trees. Zaku ran at me, sending sound waves at me. I stood still and the sound waves harmlessly hit against my body. I smirked and ran at him appearing behind him. I grabbed both of his arms, placing my foot on his back as I slightly pulled them back. Blood lust filled me and clouded my judgment.

"W-what are you doing?' Zaku stammered.

"You seem to like your arms a lot, don't you? So it would be sad if they suddenly... broke?" at the last word I pulled back his arms and pushed forwards with my foot, causing his arms to dislocate and his bones to shatter.

A satisfying crack filled my ears and I dropped Zaku to the ground, spitting at his feet. Zaku screamed and then went limp. I turned to the last guy, seeing him stand up. I stepped towards him, my smirk growing wider when I saw fear fill his eyes. I slowly sauntered over to him, my eyes turning pitch black. I smirked wider as he stumbled backwards, trying to escape me. I glanced over to where Sasuke should be but I saw that he was on his knees, looking at his hands. Sakura was crouched beside him, just watching. I looked away and continued my approach. Suddenly, I was pulled in a hug from behind.

"Mizuki..." a voice whispered.

_Naruto?_ I thought.

I pushed him off of me and continued, although my eyes weren't as dark as before. Naruto's arms wrapped around me again, and he just stood there while I clawed his arm. My bangs covered my eyes as my fingernails dug into his smooth, tan skin, drawing blood. I started shaking as he held me tighter.

"Please stop this, Mizuki. This isn't you..." he whispered in my ear.

"Get the hell away from me, Naruto." I hissed dangerously.

"No, not until you stop this!"

Slowly, the amazing power I felt ebbed away, taking my ears, tail, claws, and fangs with it. The weird markings what covered my body retracted into my three curse marks. I shook more, completely exhausted. I closed my eyes and let myself fall into Naruto's embrace. He turned me around and pulled me to him again. The world slipped away as I breathed in his scent. It was just me and him... Just us... All of my emotions slipped away.

"Naruto... You baka." I murmured, losing consciousness.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

As Mizuki passed out, I took the time to take in her scent. I loved it. It was like a drug. I lifted her up n my arms bridal style, her arms tucked in her lap and her soft hair cascading over my arm like a waterfall and blowing with the wind. I turned around to see Sasuke stand up with Sakura. Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Rock Lee, TenTen and Neji nodded at us, disappearing in different directions. I sighed in relief. _We made it... I wonder what was wrong with Mizuki? I couldn't really see anything since I was still dizzy but it looked like she had a tail...And ears? Haha impossible. All I know for sure is that she was going to hurt that guy. I don't think she was in control... Was it Chieko?_

"Let's go, dobe." Sasuke called, perched at the top of a tree with Sakura.

"Whoa, Sakura! What happened to your hair?" I exclaimed.

She laughed nervously, glancing at Sasuke. "Oh, I just wanted a change is all."

I nodded and jumped up to the tree with Mizuki, lifting her higher so I wouldn't get her hair caught in anything. Sakura noticed and jumped over, taking her hair in her hands and putting it in a ponytail. I smiled at her cheekily and we turned, getting ready to jump.

"Are we ready?" Sasuke asked.

We nodded and jumped off. I pulled Mizuki around so I was holding her in a piggy back style, checking for any traps or awaiting ninja. Luckily, I didn't have anything to worry about. Nothing was attacking; there were no ninja in sight. I sighed in relief and glared to nothing. I will protect Mizuki, even if it's the last thing I do!

**Mizuki's P.O.V.**

I stared blankly ahead, hardly noticing a weird mirror in front of me. I expected to see myself in that mirror, but there was nothing there. It even looked sort of... liquid? I approached it and placed my fingertips on the shiny thing and gasped. Like water, ripples appeared and danced around it. Suddenly, a figure appeared, standing over three other figures. I narrowed my eyes to see better and a gasp slipped from my lips. I saw myself in that weird form, standing over Sasuke and Sakura. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to block out the image. But it just appeared in my head again. I opened my eyes again to see Naruto, running at me. My eyes opened wider.

"No, Naruto! Get away!"

He didn't seem to hear me, since he kept running. The weird me turned, blood dripping from her claws. Her mouth was in a smirk and her eyes were covered by bangs again. She walked towards the shocked Naruto, raising her claws. I screamed for him to run, to leave, but he didn't he just cocked his head to the side and looked me straight in the eye. The weird me stabbed him through the heart, letting him finally realize her presence. He also saw Sasuke and Sakura. Tears ran down my eyes as he glared at me, coughing up blood.

"I hate you, Mizuki... I HATE YOU!" he screamed, falling limp in the weird me's arms.

She threw him roughly to the ground and turned to look at me, her blue eyes staring straight into mine. I fell to my knees, clutching my heart. _It hurts,_ I thought, _it hurts so much! Make it stop!_

"Throw away your emotions, then." a voice said.

I looked up to see the weird me, smirking. I shut my eyes tight, the pain overwhelming me again. I slowly nodded, agreeing to her advice. I knew that keeping these emotions would only hurt me in the end if they died, so I threw them aside, they formed into another me, trapped in a cage. It just became a shadow, something of the past. I ignored it as it cried for me to let it go, to become one with it. I turned my back on it and placed my hand on the weird me, letting myself become one with the emotionless thing.

Slowly my eyes opened. I felt wind brush against my cheeks and saw trees flying by. I looked up to see Naruto's blonde hair. He was carrying me?

"Put me down, Naruto." I demanded coldly, my eyes narrowing.

I could feel myself shaking, tears running down my face.

"Are you okay, Mizuki? Naruto asked, completely ignoring my demand, "You were screaming our names."

I glared at him and jumped of his back, landing in a crouching position on a branch. I leapt up to another one, grabbing it with my arm and flipping over it, leaping onto another branch. I jumped down to meet them.

"I'm fine."

Naruto stared at me before looking away sadly. Surprisingly, I didn't feel anything when he did that. Kabuto appeared beside me.

"Hey." he stated simply.

I glared at him before pushing him aside.

"What is he doing here?" I growled.

"He helped us defeat some ninja! We couldn't have done it without his help!" Naruto exclaimed, his sadness forgotten.

"I don't care. You can leave now, Kabuto. We don't need you anymore. If there is anything left out here, then I'll kill it."

"Mizuki! Don-" Sakura began.

"It's okay." Kabuto interrupted her, "I should be catching up to my teammates now anyways."

He leapt off, throwing a smirk at me from over his shoulder. I ignored it and kept jumping. Soon the tower came into view. We slowly walked in, entering a room. I sighed and leaned against the wall.

"Well what happens now?" Naruto asked.

"Hold on a sec, look at that," Sakura said.

"Great! What is it?"

"If qualities of heaven are your desire acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. If earthly qualities are what you lack, train your body and prepare to attack. When heaven and earth are opened together, the pariless path, will become righteous forever, this something is the secret way is what guides us from this place today." Sakura read.

"This what?" Naruto asked. "Or is that a secret too?"

"It's like there's a word missing," Sasuke said.

"Any way, it's about the scrolls," I said, "I think we're supposed to open and read the heaven and earth scrolls now."

Sakura and Naruto started to open them but were freaking out.

"Just open them already," I said breaking the silence.

"Well, here goes nothing," Naruto said ad they opened the scrolls.

"What… what does this mean?"

"A man? A person?"

"This is a summoning Jutsu. Naruto, Sakura, quick, get rid of the scrolls," I said.

They both threw the scrolls and then Iruka appeared.

"What? It's you," Sasuke said.

"Hey, long time no see, huh."

"Iruka-sensei?"

"Looks like you've gone through a lot in this test."

"You've got no idea," I said.

"Hey, wait, what's the deal with the surprise entrance? Why are you appearing with a summoning?" Naruto asked.

"At the end of the second exam, we Chuunin are supposed to welcome the test takers back and well it was just good luck that I got to be the one given the important task of being the messenger for you guys."

"Messenger?"

"And you made it just in time, too. And now… congratulations, you've passed the second exam. To celebrate your passing, I'd love to treat you all too some ramen but I…"

"Ramen!" Naruto exclaimed, "Seriously! That's so cool!" Naruto yelled hugging Iruka.

"I'm not done…"

"So cool. Let go. Believe it!"

"Hey, Naruto!" Iruka-sensei yelled.

"Oh yeah! Ramen would be awesome! Especially after all the bugs and plants we had to eat for the past few days! So gross!"

Sakura sat down on the floor and a few seconds later so did Sasuke, "Where does he get all his energy?"

"I have no idea," I said.

"Yeah!" Naruto yelled.

"Ugh… shut up," Sakura said.

"Alright well, it seems you're still as hyper active as ever, Naruto." Iruka said, sighing.

"Now I see. So then if we'd opened the scrolls before the end of the exam, what would you have done to us, Iruka Sensei?" I wondered out loud, looking up at Iruka-sensei lazily.

"As usual Mizuki, you're as sharp as a tack. You've figured out the secret. Part of this exam was to see how far you could take a difficult mission. Simply put, you knew that opening the scrolls was against the rules of your mission and if you open one…"

"What? What would have happened?" Sakura asked.

"If a scroll was opened, they were ordered to knock out who ever opened it. Some ninja found that out the hard way," Iruka said.

"Huh, it's a good thing you didn't open up yours, huh, Naruto, "Sasuke said.

"I owe you one. Thanks a million, Kabuto," Naruto said.

I glared at Naruto and Sakura. They laughed nervously.

"Oh yeah, sensei, what does that writing on the wall mean? The parchment the letters written on is kind of faded away so it's difficult to read it." Sakura asked

"Oh, please," Naruto said, "We passed didn't we, that stuff doesn't matter now."

"Well, actually, explaining that is another one of the duties I've been sent here to take care of."

"What? Seriously?"

"That's right, it's serious business. They're instructions Lord Hokage recorded as principles that Chuunin should follow. Heaven stands for your mind, and earth for your body. If qualities of heaven are your desire acquire wisdom and knowledge to take your mind higher. Get it?"

Naruto shook his head.

"Alright I'll explain in other words. If weakness lies in your intellect, Naruto then you have to make doubly sure you work extra hard to learn information and skills you need to prepare on your missions."

"Ergh ok I get your point."

Sakura laughed.

"And you," Iruka said looking at Sakura, "In earthy qualities you lack. Train your body and prepare to attack. So if your weakness lies in your physical skills so you have to work on your physical condition every single day to improve all the time. When heaven and earth are opened together the path of peril will revert to the righteous path forever. Meaning if your mind and body are working together as one then even a very dangerous mission can become an easy mission."

"So what about that spot with the missing letter?"

"Well hat's for you to fill in. You see this symbol on the scroll," Iruka said picking up a scroll, "It's the character for person a reference to you Chuunin. You see, these five days of survival were to test your abilities as Chuunin and to see if you'd be any good at it. And I've got to say, you guys really did  
>magnificently. A Chuunin is a leader, a guide. It's a Chunnin's responsibility to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of those serving under him and to know what skills and training those ninja are going to need in order to succeed on a mission. You did an excellent job on this mission. I want you to remember these instructions on your next one. Well… that's it. That was everything I was supposed to say to you."<p>

"Terrific, can we go now?" I asked. "All I want to do right now, is sleep."

"One more thing, on the third exam don't push yourself too hard. Especially you, Naruto, I worry…"

"Iruka sensei, when I got this head band, I stopped being a student. So you don't need to worry about me at all. Not anymore. I mean this head band is proof that I'm a full pledged ninja, you gave it to me. I  
>may still be hyper, but I'm not a kid, like you just said, I got through the second Chuunin exam and you watch I'm gonna pass the third one for sure. Right now, I'm a ninja too."<p>

"Naruto, you're right, I'm sorry."

We stood up and Iruka gestured for us to follow him. We were taken into a room.

"First of all, congratulations on finishing the second exam," Anko said.

I ignored her and looked around. I looked over and saw Guy talking to Kakashi then randomly freaking out.

"Alright, now pay attention! Lord Hokage is going to explain the third exam to you. You better listen carefully, maggots. Lord Hokage, they're all yours."

"First, before I tell you what the third exam entails, I want to explain something about the test itself. Listen closely now. It's something you all need to understand. I'm going to tell you the true purpose of these exams. Why do suppose countries hold these exams in conjunction with our allies? To raise the ability level of the shinobi, to increase friend ship between allied nations, to be sure. But it's important that you understand its true meaning. The exams are so to speak, they're a representation of the battle or allied nations"

I started zoning out, staring into space. I was only brought out of my trance when someone interrupted the Hokage's looong speech.

A guy puffed up, "Lord Hokage before you do please allow me Hayate Geko appointed as Proctor of the third exam want to speak first."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: The Preliminary Exams: Mizuki's Pain, Has She Met Her Match?**

As Hayate explained about the annoying extra part in the Chuunin exams, I struggled to hide the searing pain that came from my curse marks. By this time, I was biting my lip unnoticeably, digging my nails into my palms. Sasuke, however, wasn't as pain resistant as I was. He was flinching, his arm going up to clutch his neck every so often. I shifted in my seat so I was facing him (they moved if I didn't say that in the last chapter) and smiled slightly.

"It will be okay, Sasuke." I reassured him, hiding a wince.

He nodded and sat straighter, trembling slightly when waves of pain went over him. Sakura, who had been noticing his silent pain turned to him as well and looked at him, pain evident in her eyes. Hayate asked if anyone wanted to quit, but I knew that no one really would want to, despite the circumstances. I definitely wasn't going to back down.

"Sasuke, you have to quit! Mizuki, you have to too! I know how much you guys are hurting. You may not show it physically, Mizuki," she added, "but I can tell. Please just quit!"

"Sakura, no. You know who we are, and what we live for." Sasuke replied angrily, breaking free of her grasp.

Sakura began to cry now, desperately trying to convince us. "Please! Mizuki, you have to understand!"

I glared at her and turned away. "I'm an avenger. I am only in the Chuunin Exams to see how good I am at fighting against people in other Countries. Therefore, I won't let a silly injury keep me down. You should know that."

"But-" Sakura was cut off by Kabuto standing up, raising his hand.

"I quit." He stated simply.

"What?" Naruto bellowed from beside me.

Hayate coughed and confirmed that Kabuto wanted to leave.

"Sorry, Naruto, I'm just weak. To be completely honest I haven't recovered from the Sound Ninja back in the first exam."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously but I said nothing, internally wincing. Sakura slowly began to raise her hand but me and Sasuke simply smacked it back down. Hayate waited patiently, making sure no one else wanted to back out.

"Okay then," he began, "The names will be randomly chosen and placed on the screen up there." Hayate pointed to the blank board to the right of him, "The winner will be chosen only if either the opponent quits or is knocked out. The first people who are going to fight are..."

I looked up, hoping that it was me. I sighed and looked over. It was:

**Sasuke Uchiha vs. Akado Yoroi**

I looked over at Sasuke and smirked, reaching out to pat his back. He smirked back, getting up and walking to the stairs. I looked up at the sky and sighed, my eye twitching in pain. Why does it keep hurting? I wondered, standing up. I walked over to Kakashi-sensei and sat beside him, looking down. Kakashi-sensei leaned over so his mouth was inches from my ear.

"After your match their will be a man with short blue hair and black eyes. His name is Yoji Mizotoki. If you are still conscious after your match then he will take you into a room and seal your curse marks. Then, when you recover he will take you somewhere and train you for the two months we have until the Third exam." he said, 'smiling' at me.

I decided that I should tell him about what happened in the Forest of Death. I decided to leave out my second dream. I first told him what happened when I woke up, and then I went back to my painful and weird transformation. "-and then the liquid went into my mouth. It made my teeth sharper. I felt slightly blood thirsty, like the liquid was blood and that once I got a taste of it I wanted more. Is this bad?" I looked down and saw Sasuke yell his move, slamming his foot into the guy's stomach.

"Hmmm..." Kakashi-sensei pondered. "I don't know. I'll think about it and then I'll tell you what I come up with. Anyways, Sasuke's match is over. Although he'll want to stay for your match, I should go and see if he's okay."

I nodded and leaned back. Kakashi-sensei disappeared over the railing and appeared back supporting Sasuke. Although he was wincing in pain, his eyes were still filled with triumph. I smirked at him and hugged him lightly. "Good job." I whispered in his ear, looking at the board. I groaned.

**Shine Aburame vs. Zaku Abumi**

I sighed and waited impatiently for the fight to end. Although it was an interesting battle, I wanted it to end. _I needed to be next! I don't know how much longer Sasuke and I can take this pain._

"The winner is Shino Aburame." Hayate Geko said, coughing heavily.

_Smoker?_ I thought randomly. I looked up at the board when they moved Zaku away. _Let it be me... Let it be me... Let it be me!_

**Mizuki Gesshu vs. Izumi Noroko**

I smirked and stood, nodding at Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto. I jumped on the railing, letting myself fall forwards. I flipped in mid air, spinning and landing gracefully in front of her. Way to make an entrance, eh? I winced slightly noticeably when an even more painful wave hit me. This is going to be a problem... I thought annoyed. I looked over at Izumi, sizing her up. She had shoulder length red hair and dark blue eyes.

"Any objections to this fight between Mizuki and Izuki? Okay Begin!" Hayate jumped back after some dude yelled 'Go Izumi! Kick a**!'

She smirked. "Are you ready to be defeated?" she asked mockingly.

I deliberately ignored her mock and looked to up the sky, sighing boredly. I pulled out a kunai and ran at Izumi, ducking under fist. I pushed my kunai in the air, only to be met with a kunai of her own. She stepped to the side and twisted her body, kunai appearing from nowhere. What? I questioned, my eyes widening. I took out another kunai and twirled slightly messily, blocking as many kunai as I could. I still got sliced by a few, though. Izumi then took the chance to sneak up behind me, kicking me in the back. I slid forward, the pain from my marks adding to the pain I was in now. I flinched and tried to push the pain away. It only got worse! I stood up slowly, getting back into a fighting stance.

I made a hand sign and ten shadow clones appeared beside me. I ran around her, my mind working fast. I was going to try out a new Jutsu... and hope it worked. A familiar purple ring appeared around my eyes and it did the same with my clones. We began to run faster, confusing her. I knew she was a clone so I changed directions sharply, narrowly avoiding a sebon needle attack. I slowed down slightly, the pain growing. It kept growing more and more the more I used my kekki genkai. I panted and began my Jutsu. Five of my Shadow Clones jumped in the air, forming a smaller circle around Izumi. They waved their arms and floated on the air, summoning each water, fire, earth and air. Two had only fire though. I sent three more Shadow clones to sneak around her. They grabbed her arms and legs.

"What are you doing?" She yelled, continually dodging the kunai and shuriken the other two Shadow Clones were throwing but twisting her body.

I ignored her, my eyes slightly unfocused. The pain was making me slow. "Now!" I ordered, jumping in the air. The five shadow clones held their palms out, sending the elements around her. They squeezed them shut, forming a ball around her. I made hand signs, panting heavier. Gasps rang out as I yelled words, just like my father had. "Hidden Jutsu of the Gesshu Clan: Tsumimora!"

**~Flashback~**

_"Hey, mom? What is dad doing?" Mizuki asked, looking out the window._

_"He's practicing for an S ranked mission he's going to do with your brother." her mother replied, smiling kindly and leading her to the window to watch closer._

_Her dad was surrounded by the elements, deep concentration on his aged face. He quickly made hand signs and said something. It was something like 'Hidden Clan: Tsumi... Suddenly, the elements went into the air, merging into a multicolored ball. He moved his hands down and the ball twirled, beginning to light up. Mizuki had to shield her eyes. When she looked up again, she saw the bright light heading away from the house. It smashed into the ground, forming a huge crater. Mizuki's eyes widened, wanting to do that Jutsu too. She stored the hand signs into her mind, knowing she would want to try it out later, when she was older._

**~End Flashback~**

I brought my hand down, the glowing ball heading directly to the frozen Izumi. I fell from the air and skidded against the ground, panting heavily. I was shaking uncontrollably, my eyes shut in pain. I deactivated my kekki genkai and my Shadow Clones poofed away. I looked up, expecting to see Izumi unconscious. My eyes widened, and widened and widened. Izumi was standing up, barely a scratch on her.

"It's a good thing that I'm special! That was a powerful Jutsu, was it not?"

I struggled to stand, my eyes narrowed. Even when I moved uncontrollable pain shot through me. I gasped in air, finally getting upright. I slowly pulled out a kunai, my eyes still half closed. Izumi disappeared and appeared behind me, kicking my knees, I fell forwards slightly. She appeared in front of me, punching me in the face, and then my stomach. I spat out blood as I flew back, slamming against the wall. I fell over, my eyes slightly closing. _This pain... I thought, I can't bear it..._

"I-I have to quit" I whispered as she never ceased in her punches and kicks.

Just as I was on the brink of unconsciousness two voices rang out in my head.

"You can do it, Mizuki. Get up and fight!"

"C'mon Mizuki! You can do this! Aren't you supposed to be strong? Where's your Clan pride? Get up!"

I looked up, seeing Naruto and Sasuke on their feet, staring at me. I nodded slowly and dealt with the pain, staggering into a standing position. Izumi growled and came at me again, punching me again and again. Finally I skidded back, a trail of blood around the arena. I jumped up onto a statue, looking at my arms and legs.

"It's about time they came off, eh?" I said, unraveling the weights on my arms and legs.

Izumi just laughed loudly, too overcome with cockiness to be scared. "What's that going to do? A couple bandages-" Izumi was cut off by my weights slamming into the ground. Dust picked up, a huge crater shown when it cleared. "W-what?"

I smirked, my arms and legs feeling a lot lighter. I jumped off, barely a blur in someone's vision. I appeared in front of her and smiled, waving. I then punched her, letting the crowd see how much pain I had gone through to get this much weight on me. She flew back, slamming into the wall. A small crater appeared. I looked down at my bruised arms and smirked. _Let's put these to good work_, I thought. I jumped into the air, letting the pain come to me when I activated my kekki genkai. I didn't care. My vision clouded as I landed on the ground, crouching low and spinning, kicking up. Izumi flew into the air, her eyes shut tight. I leapt up to meet her, summoning a few Clones. They held her still while I got ready. I kicked her in the stomach, sending her down. At the last second, I landed on the floor and grabbed her body, spinning her and throwing her to the wall. She slammed against it and slid down, blood pooling around her. I smirked.

"Mizuki, look out!" Sakura yelled.

I turned but it was too late. A clone of hers was holding a kunai and she shoved it into my leg. I screamed as she stabbed another into my arm, and then my side. I staggered back, blood sliding down my skin. I slowly pulled out the kunai, screaming quietly in pain_. I-I I refuse to go d-down like this_! I thought as I fell to my knees. I gasped in pain as she kicked me repeatedly.

"I-I-I"

"Pass. Out. You. Loser!" she yelled.

"Mizuki!" I looked weakly up to see the whole Leaf village rookies (plus Neji's team).

I looked over and my stomach flipped. Gaara's eyes were black. His eyes stared straight into mine. I weakly looked at him, pleading him not to get intervened. He sighed in annoyance and moved his head a centimeter. The real Izumi came up from behind me, somehow still looking like she had a fight in her. _How...?_

"You wondering how I keep getting up? Well, it's because my kekki genkai heals me. Only when I go unconscious will it not matter."

My eyes widened and rolled away, avoiding her foot as she tried to kick me. I stood up and jumped away, running up the wall. An idea struck me. _Will it work?_ I thought weakly_. I barely have any chakra left... and I'm horribly injured_. I slipped up and lost my footing, weakly tumbling down. I shook as I hit the ground, rolling and groaning in pain. I stood up again.

"Let's end this." I said, anger washing over me.

_Chieko...?_

_**Yes?**_ She replied, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

_Can I use your chakra?_

_**Finally! I've been waiting for you to ask for forever!**_

_Thanks..._

I came back into it only to get punched in the face. Blood gushed from my nose and mouth. I knew it was okay though. Purple chakra began to surround me like an aura. I felt no pain, only from the curse marks. I ran at her, a smirk growing on my lips. I leapt at her, tackling her to the ground and punching her in the face. She growled and twisted, pushing me over. I managed to get away, jumping up and making hand signs.

"Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" I placed my fingers to my mouth and blew out.

She made hand signs of her own. "Water Style, Swej Water Jutsu!"

The two connected and exploded, sending us flying back. I easily got up, running at her. I need to find out how to knock her out...! I got it! I smirked and ran at her faster, appearing behind her. _It's time for all that planning in the academy to come to good use... _I thought smugly_, this wont fail! I'm sure of it!_ I wrapped my arms around her and jumped into the air, twirling quickly. "Air Style: Air Suffocation Jutsu!" The air that was moving along with my twirling went away as I took a deep breath of air.

She struggled in my grasp, fighting to get air. I finally got the chance to push her pressure point, making her pass out. I decided to finish it. I threw her in the air and appeared behind her, wrapping an arm around her. I flipped over and over in the air and threw her down. I did a back flip in midair, my foot colliding with her stomach.

"Mizuki Style: Tigers Barrage!" I finished my combo by making hand signs and yelling 'Air Style: Air Slice Jutsu'.

The wind picked up and made her fall faster. She slammed into the ground, her body jolting upwards at the impact. I smacked into the ground, completely wiped out. I was barely hanging on to consciousness. Hayate walked over, checking to see if she was awake.

"The winner is Mizuki Gesshu!" he declared as the crowd erupted in cheers.

I sighed in exhaustion and fell forwards. Warm arms wrapped around me and lifted me up. I looked up to see Sasuke. I sighed and stood, leaning onto him for support.

"Mizuki?" I turned around to see a man with blue hair and black eyes.

I nodded and shot a knowing glance at Kakashi-sensei as he smiled at me. He whispered something in Sasuke's ear and Sasuke gave me to Yoji, saying goodbye and disappearing with him. Yoji picked me up, smiling at me as he carried me to some rom. I looked around. Weird symbols formed a square and candles were in the middle.

"Could you please take off your shirt? I need to be able to get to the curse marks."

I nodded, trusting him. I don't really know why, though. I took off my bloody t-shirt, examining my wounds. Since I only had a bra tank under it I could see how bad my wounds were. _Whoa..._ I thought in horror. I was completely black and blue. I stepped into the circle, sitting down. He came up in front of me, kneeling down. He placed his index finger on the one on my collar bone, his pinky and thumb on the other ones.

"Sealing Jutsu!" he yelled. White-hot pain flooded my body, only to be chased out by a cold chill. I shook a lot, my eyes narrowing. A scream slightly slipped from my lips, echoing around the room. It was finally over. I felt even worse than before, if that's possible. I was completely immobilized. "Sleep." he whispered soothingly, lying be back on the floor, placing a new shirt on me. I nodded and obediently closed my eyes, drifting away.

The last thing that was in my thoughts was a pair of cold, evil yellow snake-like eyes, silently beckoning me..


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Intense Training With Yoji-sensei and A Shocking Encounter**

"Earth style: Earth Boulders Jutsu!" Yoji-sensei yelled, punching forward.

"Molani!" I yelled while the Earth was speeding towards me.

I got into my fighting stance and spun smoothly on my heels, thrusting my hands forward. They easily cut through the rock as I spun (like Neji). I leapt into the air and activated my Kunioki state. I brought my hands up to the sky and the small rocks I made came around me, sharpening when I slightly closed my hand. I punched forwards and the sharp rocks headed to Yoji-sensei. He leapt into the air and I followed him with my hands so the rocks would hit him. I separated some and made them dive and then come up behind him, slicing his shirt and pinning him to a tree he was trying to run to. I landed on the ground and panted slightly, bringing my arms to my sides. The rocks immediately fell limp so Yoji-sensei could easily detach himself. He smiled and walked over to me, patting me on the back.

"Great job!" he exclaimed, shaking me.

I sighed but did nothing, knowing by now that it was useless to fight back.

_Finally, _I thought as I was shaken around,_ I mastered that... It took me three whole weeks! At least I got to add 800lbs on my arms and legs and I mastered my 4th stage in the Molani! Great progress! _But something clicked in my head. How could every single Gesshu have 8 stages for their kekki genkai? If we did then we must have been way to powerful for... him to take the Clan out. Either he had help or...

"Okay! Now, I want to teach you a Jutsu that is very advanced where I come from. It takes a lot of chakra but I know you can handle it!" Yoji-sensei smiled at me and jumped back a little bit, rapidly making hand signs. "Darkness Style: Soul Consuming Jutsu!"

My eyes widened. I've heard of this Jutsu! All of a sudden, I felt weak. I noticed an eerie mist come up my body, slightly reminding me of my transformation. My eyes narrowed in exhaustion. I panted and slowly fell to my knees, grabbing my stomach in pain. Just as the pain was going to spread it stopped.

"That's the Jutsu I want to teach you! It's very effective, as you can see. It drains the victim of chakra and gives that person a series of pain. If you can keep the Jutsu going long enough, then the victim can become paralyzed or in a near-death state! The only thing is that it's mostly an attack you use when you want to sneak up on someone and kill without being noticed. Here, eat this, it should help." He passed me a block of chocolate.

I bit into it and instantly I felt better. I stood up, smirking at Yoji-sensei. You could say we're close but I don't show much emotion. Just a smirk or a nod. But I knew this was a very good Jutsu to learn so he had my full attention. First, he taught me the hand signs. It wasn't hard at all, thanks to my Molani. A breeze blew past me, making my hair, which was in a ponytail, swish. I looked around while he was overreacting at something. I couldn't tell where we were the location, but I knew we were in a clearing with trees surrounding us. We were completely cut off from civilization.

"Ready? I want you to do the Jutsu on me, Okay?"

Yoji-sensei began to make the hand signs. With my Molani I copied them. I smirked, I can see it! I thought, leaping forwards, I leapt into the air, yelling out the Jutsu. "Darkness Style: Soul Consuming Jutsu!"

I expected a huge mist to come out and attack Yoji-sensei like what he did to me so I jumped back, landing on my feet. I looked up at Yoji-sensei and sweat dropped. He was standing, a feeble black mist nibbling at his foot. It slowly inched up his leg, draining more chakra from me then it did damage to him. I stopped the Jutsu and glared. Yoji-sensei just laughed loudly, shaking his head.

"Don't worry, that's normal. I didn't expect you to have it down on your first time. We still have a month and two weeks! When you get this done then I'll show you the last important thing that you will be taught. Then I'll just help you perfect some things and you'll be good to go! But right now, it's 7:00. You need to run around this clearing 30 times and then we'll see how long you can keep your Kunioki State up."

I nodded and took off around the clearing, breathing rhythmically. I stared at the ground in front of me, thinking about my upcoming match. When I woke up in the Hospital, Naruto told me the match ups. I'm more scared for Gaara and Sasuke than I am for myself, though. Gaara doesn't seem to care about who he kills and Sasuke doesn't have that hatred. He hates, but its directed onto one person... But on my match I'm fighting a guy that's a year older than me. I refuse to have another match like I did in that last round. That was just embarrassing, pulling my confidence from others. I ran my last lap and a final thought ran through my head. _I will beat Inoko, and I will do it by myself, without anyone!_

We sat by the fire, eating silently. I thought about what I have been doing these past months. It seems like I'm getting stronger, but it's not fast enough. I need a teacher that's highly skilled and isn't afraid of teaching me Jutsu's that are completely deadly. I know one person that would, though.

_**Orochimaru.**_

But if I left, my one last ounce of loyalty to the Leaf Village would be severed, and we would be enemies. But I could get closer to my goal... I know Sasuke would come with me if I asked; he wants to kill someone too. But... Naruto's face popped up in my head. I glared and pushed the thought away, finishing my dinner and saying goodnight to Yoji-sensei. I stared at him for a second more. He is a good teacher, I thought. I've learned so much from him. But I could learn so much more. I lay down and closed my eyes, deciding to think about it later. Right now I needed sleep.

**2 weeks later**

I panted and fell to the floor, the mist disappearing. Now, I was able to make Yoji-sensei stop in his tracks and paralyze him for one minute. But, I was slightly exhausted by even that. Yoji-sensei smiled at me and came to me again.

"Now, the final challenging Jutsu. The Summoning Jutsu. Since you're young, you can't make a contract. The person would be very stupid to let a child to do that. So, I found a solution. you can summon your demon. Not like that, but a form of that beast. It is completely in your control unless something happens that it takes over; That shouldn't happen though. So, what you are to do is bite your finger and make a circle on your arm. Then, run it all the way down and slam your finger on the ground. For right now use your whole hand."

I nodded and bit my finger, circling it on my arm and then running it down onto my open palm. It immediately spread so it covered the entire front of my hand. I slammed my hand down on the ground, sending chakra to assist. A small poof of smoke came and when it cleared a small two tailed wolf cub was in its place. I sighed. _Another failure?_

"Just like the other Jutsu, this is very hard to learn, if not harder. Don't worry about it, you'll get it in time for the Chuunin Exams."

My eyes narrowed suspiciously. Why would I need it for the Chunnin Exams? I just nodded and began the process again, this time closing my eyes and making my chakra flow through my feet. I slammed my hand to the ground again, wondering how big it would be now. It was about 2x the size of a full grown regular wolf. I smirked. _Progress... _I thought.

"Soon, when you master this it'll be 40x the size of this! But that could take years. You'd have to be as strong as Tsunade or Jirya!"

My eyes widened at the sound of Tsunade. I hadn't thought about her in years… But I guess it's expected for her to be brought up, due to the fact that she's extremely powerful. Shaking my head to clear it, I began to do the Jutsu again.

**4 weeks later**

"Finally!" I exclaimed in triumph, looking down.

My wolf had gotten 20x larger than before so now I was slightly above the trees. I looked to the left to see a tree crack and fall, three more following it. I cocked my head in confusion but turned away, deactivating my Jutsu. Yoji-sensei caught me (sadly) and started squeezing me. I sighed and tried to push him away. He actually let me go, looking down at me with pride. I shifted uncomfortably under his gaze, not used to an adult looking at me like that. _With those eyes..._

"I'm proud of you, Mizuki! I know you'll be great in the Exams. But we should eat and go to sleep. Tomorrow we'll meet up with Kakashi and Sasuke. Remember, as long as you have the sky above you and the ground beneath you, you can win this! You were a worthy apprentice. I hope to see you in the future. After the match, though, I have to go on a mission in the Mist Village." Yoji-sensei smiled sadly and patted my head.

I looked away, giving him a hug. I closed my eyes and sighed. I pulled away and we ate dinner, looking up at the moon in silence. For some reason, my necklace felt heavier. I looked down at it but it looked the same. I finished my food and lay down, still staring up. I wasn't even tired. Yoji-sensei's soft breaths filled the air as I stared at the stars, amazed. They were extremely beautiful tonight, and seemed awfully close. As if… Suddenly I felt a tug. I sat up and looked around. I felt the tug again. I looked down, my eyes widening. My necklace was pulsing, glowing. Suddenly it grew so bright that I had to close my eyes.

_When I opened them I noticed that I was in a forest, somewhere other than where I trained. I heard leaves rustling and twigs snapping. Four figures appeared and my eyes widened. Could it be? I squinted my eyes._

_"Mizuki... Mizuki... Mizuki!"_

_**That sounded like... Could it be?**_

_"Mom? Dad? Mai? Jade?"_

_Sure enough, my family appeared, looking better than ever. I sat in silence, staring. I couldn't believe my eyes. Was I dreaming? It feels so real! They smiled at me and my dad held out his arms, his eyes crinkling just like when I was younger. A sob came forth and I launched myself into his waiting arms. He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close. I inhaled his scent. It smells just like it did before... I felt like I was 5 again. I began to cry, my mom and sister's arms around me too. I felt.. So warm, and safe... I haven't felt this way in seven years!_

_"Shhh, Mizuki. You've grown into such a beautiful girl. Don't worry Mizuki, we will always be with you, we will always watch over you. We can't stay long but we were granted this. We miss you Mizuki. Shhh, don't cry. We will be together soon enough. But think before you act Mizuki."_

_I pulled away to look at all of their faces again. My mom kissed my cheek, her lips lingering before she pulled away. My sisters hugged me tighter, smiling at me. I broke into a fresh wave of tears, breaking down._

_"I miss you guys so much! I-It hurts!" I yelled my voice cracking._

_"It's okay Mizuki, we love you!" Mai and Jade exclaimed, stepping back so they were in front of my parents._

_"We have to go, Mizuki." Father said, smiling sadly. "Remember us in your heart. We will always be with you, no matter what..."_

_They began to disappear, light coming into my vision again._

_"NO! COME BACK! PLEASE!" I screamed, reaching out to them._

_It was too late, though. They were already gone. I curled into a ball. Everything went black, the only thing I could hear was my own sobs and my tears hitting a ground and echoing._

"Mizuki... Mizuki... MIZUKI!"

My head snapped up and I tiredly looked over. Yoji-sensei was moving quickly, grabbing things. He pulled my sleeping bag away and rolled it up, leaning it against a tree. He threw me a backpack filled with my things and spoke quickly.

"We overslept! We have to get the Sasuke and Kakashi now!"

He pulled me up and I slowly woke up, running behind a tree and pulling on my clothes. My old ones left behind. We took off in a random direction I guessed Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei were. We jumped up on a tree and then leapt down, sliding on the ground, panting. I looked up and anime fell. Kakashi-sensei was perched on a rock, reading his book while Sasuke packed up their camp. I looked him over. He now had a sort of aura of power around him... And I liked it.

"We'll, we don't have time to run there, so why don't we transport there in style? Now," Kakashi-sensei said, not looking up from his book.

He explained what we were supposed to do and I smirked. We got behind Kakashi-sensei and Yoji-sensei and suddenly we were whirled around. We came to a halt at the mouth of the door. Leaves whirled around them and then I lifted me and Sauke unnoticeably in the air, letting us dive down and flip smoothly over our sensei's heads, landing back to back in front of them.

(sorry guys, I really didn't have a clue for the whole entrance part -_-'')

"I hope that Mizuki and Sasuke aren't disqualified. We really are sorry; we just got lost on the path of life."

"No, they're not but you were very close." a man said in annoyance.

_Wait, I thought, is he the proctor now? What happened to Hayate?_

"Mizuki is to go against Inoko first, and then it's Sasuke vs. Gaara."

We nodded and Sasuke smirked at me, nodding and walking up the stairs with the sensei's. Naruto approached Sasuke and began to talk to him, his eyes lit up in excitement. I turned away and walked to the middle of the battle grounds. I looked around, taking in my surroundings like I was taught. The crowd roared, clearly annoyed for the hold up. Suddenly, a boy with red hair and green eyes appeared in front of me, his face screwed up with rage.

_Hmmm, _I thought,_ I hope he isn't as powerful as he looks._

I eyed a dragon tattoo on his arm and raised an eyebrow when he growled. What did I do to him? I glared back at him.

"You defeated my sister," He growled out, allowing me to know why he was so angry, "But now you will be the one in the ground. I will defeat you."

I stared at him and smirked, deciding to make him mad. "You can try, but we all know who is going to win. I won't need any support; I probably won't even have to use my special Jutsu."

He hissed harshly at me, his temper getting the best of him. "We'll see! We'll see! You talk smack but can you back it up? I hate people like that. Now DIE!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 (Part 1): The Third Exam: Fire vs. Water**

The proctor announced the beginning of the match and Inoko immediately made hand signs, not pausing to make a strategy or anything. I smirked. This will be too easy. I'm guessing that he doesn't have the healing ability like his sister because he's not nearly as confident and calm.

"One Thousand Kunai Rain!" he yelled, smirking and leaping into the air.

Like his sister, kunai began to appear from nowhere, swirling around him. I smirked. This time, I was ready. _But... how did Yoji-sensei know I needed to perfect that?_ I ran in a circle, avoiding waves of kunai, shuriken and sebon needles. Finally I had the time to counter attack. I slid backwards when I landed on the ground, building up chakra.

"Molani!" I yelled, smoothly moving into a fighting stance. I faintly heard Yoji-sensei chuckle; he knew exactly what I was going to do. "HUAAAAHHH!" I exclaimed, forcing my chakra to surround only my hands.

I spun on my toes, taking out two sharp kunai. I twirled effortlessly and quickly, blocking all of the weapons. They fell uselessly at my feet, no blood on them. Inoko growled, his eyes flashing red. My eyes slightly widened. Could he have something better than his sister? I don't like those eyes... _Maybe this won't be as easy as originally thought... _Inoko ran towards me, jumping into the air and kicking forwards. I grabbed his foot and he rebounded by using his other one, reminding me of when I did the exact same thing to Kakashi-sensei. I ducked under it and crouched, his leg still in my arms. I spun him and pushed chakra through my arms so I could send him flying faster and harder. He rammed into the wall and 'poofed'. I looked around for him, knowing he was going to sneak up on me. I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing, letting my chakra slowly seep into the earth.

"Chakra Vision." I whispered, sending chakra around the arena to look for him.

I looked around through my closed eyelids, searching for Inoko. I tried to find his chakra, straining to look farther. Suddenly, I felt something behind me.

"Looking for me?" his icy voice whispered.

I jumped forward, narrowly avoiding his attack. I ran around him, leaping to the side when he sent a stream of fire at me. _What?_ I thought, I _didn't see him make hand signs or mold chakra!_ I deactivated my Jutsu, trying to save chakra. We then proceeded to fight with taijutsu. I saw a weak point and I smirked, going for it. I ducked under his leg, grabbing it and slamming him into the ground.

"Now Mizuki! Use the Jutsu! Use the jutsu!" Yoji-sensei yelled, making sure to leave people confused.

There was a murmur of confusion but I knew exactly what he wanted me to do. I kept my grip on Inoko, throwing him easily into the air. I smirked and leapt up to meet him, rapidly making hand signs and getting clones to hold him still.

"Darkness Style: Soul Consuming Jutsu!" I yelled, black mist erupting from behind me. It headed straight for him, circling around him and then clinging to his skin, causing him to breathe heavily, his eyes drooping. I could feel my chakra slowly ebbing away so I stopped the Jutsu, Inoko falling to the floor at my feet. I didn't let him catch his breath. I ran at him again, my eyes turning purple. "Secret Jutsu of the Gesshu Clan: Velvet Dream!"

I smirked and gasps erupted again, slightly lifting my ego. My huge Ice Dragon formed, bigger than usual thanks to my Kunioki State. It headed straight for Inoko, who was struggling to get up. It slammed into his stomach, sending him spiraling up in the air. Blood splattered from his lips, running down his chin.

"You know what to do, Mizuki!" Yoji-sensei cheered, jumping up and dancing slightly.

I looked away, embarrassed and I jumped up below Inoko. I wrapped my arms around his waist and spun faster and faster, letting the air help me.

"Gesshu Slam!" I yelled and I kicked him in the stomach, making his eyes open wide.

He screamed in pain as I finished my combo, pounding my fists down on him, my legs kicking his head. He awkwardly flipped, landing at an odd angle when he hit the ground. I smirked and skidded on the ground, hardly out of chakra.

_That's all he had? Man, he's path-_

All of a sudden fire exploded from his body, sending me flying backwards, smacking into the wall. I looked up, gasping in shock. Inoko stood hp, his eyes a blood red. His tattoo lit up from black to red, wind picking up all around him, his red hair flowing around him like water. I glared and decided to counterattack_. I won't stay shocked for forever!_ My eyes turned purple again, water forming out of the air. It collected around me, edging closer to Inoko threateningly. I smirked when he growled. _This is where it got good._

**Fire vs. Water.**

He ran at me, the fire expertly swirling into a spiral. It came at me full speed, burning to ground as it went. I narrowed my eyes and lifted my arms, the water obeying and coming in front of my. His fire clashed into my water, sending us flying back when it exploded. I shakily stood up, all seriousness clouding my eyes. I slowly moved my arms like I was spinning ropes in double dutching. I moved them faster and faster water building and coming together, forming a tsunami. I then ran around the arena, the water spinning and following me, picking up more water as it went. Inoko smirked, copying what I did. He ran the opposite way, knowing sooner or later, we would collide. The trees around us were slowly turning to ash, flaking away.

Finally, we were running at each other, our attacks at our sides. I smirked wider and leapt into the air, spinning so that I went into the water. I didn't need to hold my breath so I exhaled, water forming around me. I closed my fist and felt the water freeze into sharp spikes. I flew out of the water just as the spikes went in, threateningly poking out. I glanced over to where Inoko was to see what he was doing. His attack seemed to have doubled! I just smirked and ran at him, throwing my hands forward. My swirling mass of water and spiked sprung at him at an alarming rate. He copied what I did again and they headed to each other. They collided and merged causing a ball of water and fire. It swelled, beginning to steam. Then, it suddenly just… _exploded._

I was thrown back and rolled on the ground, avoiding my own spikes. I jumped up, quickly going into a backbend. Inoko's fist just barely grazed my cheek. Everything seemed to be moving in slow motion. When we would punch or kick, water or fire would erupt from it and dispersed the other's attack. Finally Inoko's eyes flickered, and then died out.

"Having trouble?" I mocked, raising my hands.

Fire jumped around it, licking at my flesh but not hurting me. Inoko growled and then he jumped back, biting his finger.

"Beat this!' He yelled, slamming it onto the ground, "Summoning Jutsu!"

I looked over at Yoji-sensei. _How did he know all of this? My kekki genkai, Kunioki State, __**and**__ Summoning Jutsu? _Inoko smirked down at me, on the head of a huge fox.

"Come on, Mizuki! Yeah! Show him! SHOW HIM!" Yoji-sensei yelled, jumping on the railing.

"You didn't…!" I head Kakashi-sensei exclaim.

I just smirked and nodded biting my finger, circling it on my arm and then running it down onto my open palm. It immediately spread so it covered the entire front of my hand. I slammed my hand down on the ground, sending chakra to assist it. Symbols spread from my arm onto the ground, a large puff of smoke covering the arena.

"Summoning Jutsu!" I yelled.

The crowd cheered wildly when the smoke cleared, revealing me perched coolly on top of the two tailed wolf. I laughed mockingly, staring straight at Inoko's astonished face.

"Look at your face!" I announced loudly, "Are you finally realizing that someone younger than you is going to beat you?"

"Now Master Inoko?" the fox whispered after Inoko's menacing growl.

Inoko nodded and I knelt, placing my palm on my wolf.

"Do you understand?" I asked softly, petting her head.

"Yes Mizuki, I am doing it now."

She opened her mouth and breathed in. Air rushed in her mouth as Inoko and his fox were doing something unknown to me. I waited patiently for the signal from my wolf and molded my chakra so it would be easier to use. The wolf nodded.

"Now! Earth, Fire and Water Style: Grand Element Jutsu!" I yelled, my eyes turning purple.

I placed my fingers in front of my mouth and blew out. The elements appeared in front of me, merging into huge a ball, spinning rapidly. I punched forwards and sent it spiraling forwards. The wolf let out her breath and a large gust of wind caused my attack to pick up speed, going faster and faster. Somehow Inoko had a massive lightning ball heading towards it. _Oh gosh_, I thought, _they're going to collide and explode, again! _The attacks collided and, just like I said, exploded. We were both send flying backwards, our summoning poofing away. I fell down towards the ground, my arms at my sides. At the last moment I pulled up, landing gracefully on my feet. Inoko slammed into the ground behind me, making a mini crater with his impact. I fell to my knees and coughed up blood, almost completely out of chakra.

_Chieko, could you please lend me some chakra? I think I might pass out._

_**Okay, but you have to let me speak to that Gaara kid later!**_ Chieko replied.

I agreed and felt a surge of power run through my body. I stood up and looked down at Inoko's body, noticing that everything was quiet.

"You lose." I said quietly, ignoring the now excited cheers from the crowd.

"You were awesome! I'm so proud of you!" Yoji-sensei exclaimed, glomping me from behind and holding onto me as I flailed myself around.

He started sobbing, causing me to stop and stand there in disbelief. I just sighed and peeled his hands off of me, looking back at his tear streaked face. I noticed Izumi glare at me as she followed the paramedics out of the arena, Inoko still unconscious. I just smirked at her and turned away.

"That was awesome, Mizuki! That weird teacher of yours must have taught you a lot!" Naruto said, appearing beside me and smiling goofily.

Yoji-sensei glared at Naruto and punched him in the head, yelling at him. I could barely hear what he said, though. Ugh, there so loud and annoying, I thought. Yoji-sensei then got a serious look on his face, walking over to me. _Is he about to leave?_ I thought, feeling a sense of loss come over me. I have to admit, without Yoji-sensei to train just me, I wouldn't learn too much in the following months. Maybe I should consider going to Orochimaru more. _I know Sasuke might not want to anymore... he has more here than I do, even if it isn't a lot._

"I have to go now, Mizuki. It's sad to see the time that we have to depart but I have my mission to go to. I don't know when I'll be back, or if I will, but I do know that I won't forget you. No one I've ever trained has been as determined and powerful as you." Yoji-sensei said smiling softly.

I nodded stiffly, shaking his outstretched hand. He understood that I didn't do the whole hug thing, and I respected that. I turned and walked away with Naruto, glancing back for the last time for a while at Yoji-sensei. He still was looking at me with a smile but then, he was gone. We walked to the door where the stairs were when Gaara came out. Naruto had disappeared suddenly, leaving me confused. But I brushed it off and let myself wave at Gaara. I walked over to him, smiling. I smothered the uneasy feeling I got and gave him a brief hug, stepping back. He nodded silently and walked off. I continued up the stairs and when I reached the top I saw Sasuke. I grabbed his arm and pulled him to the side, leaning in and speaking in a soft tone.

"I know you have a big shot at beating Gaara but watch out for his sand... It's really dangerous. He has a killing thirst for you that probably won't be quenched until he wins. Don't die, Sasuke... I have something to talk to you about later but it's too serious to be said here... Good luck." I said, smirking and patting his shoulder.

Sasuke nodded stiffly and smirked back, walking down the stairs. I walked down the aisle and took a seat beside Kakashi-sensei and Sakura. Just then, Naruto came running over, Shikamaru beside him. His eyes were wide and he was slightly pale. He began to speak to Kakashi-sensei in suck a quiet tone that I couldn't hear anything. Kakashi-sensei just shook his head and replied softly, turning his head to look at Sasuke. Their match had begun. Wow, I thought as the match progressed, Sasuke has gotten stronger... a lot stronger. I watched at he ran up the wall, forming hand signs. He then ran down the way, sparks appearing around his hand. I looked over at Kakashi-sensei. _Is this his famous Chidori? The one Jutsu that he came up with on his own?_ Sasuke hand smashed through Gaara's sand, something Lee couldn't do. Suddenly Sasuke jumped back, a large spike coming out of Gaara's sand boulder. Blood was on the sand though, and it wasn't all Sasuke's.

"BLOOD! It's my blood!" Garra yelled, his sand starting to peel away.

_Woah_, I thought, _his eyes_... Sasuke's eyes widened and he jumped farther away, staring into Gaara's eyes. I noticed that I was standing up, my eyes widened and my hands clenching the railing. Slowly a headache began to build up. I flinched slightly, the pain growing more and more until it was like a hammer banging itself on my head.

"ACK!" I gasped out, falling to my knees.

I heard Chieko yell something in a different language. Her high pitched voice so loud made me grab my head with both of my hands, slightly screaming. I was hardly aware of the flower petals falling around me. My body jolted as Chieko got louder, my eyes widened. I was starting to shake, blood forming in my ears. The pain was incredible! I didn't know I was making so much noise until Naruto kneeled down beside me, his hand on my shoulder. I looked deep into his blue orbs, hiding the true pain I was in. I was panting heavily, unable to stand or sit up.

"Mizuki? Are you alright?" he asked, lifting my slightly limp body up.

I felt my eyes lose focus and my body lose control of itself. I stood up, being controlled by something. Chieko's screaming had gotten slightly quieter so I'm guessing she's controlling me. I jumped onto the railing, looking over the edge. Kankoro and Temari were supporting a weak Gaara, turning to a hole that was made by some sort of explosion. I jumped off the railing, not looking back at Naruto when he called me. I walked over to Gaara, sighing in relief internally as Chieko's gibberish stopped. Sand slowly made its way up my body, curling itself around my waist and lifting me up in the air. Gaara's eyes were slightly black as he pulled me to him, wrapping his arms around me. But what confused me was that he still had some control over himself he didn't try to push me away.

I felt my eyes drooping, but Chieko still had control over me so I didn't stop it. I heard people screaming my name but that was just pushed to the back of my mind. I didn't bother to do anything, all I wanted to do was sleep... sleep forever...


	15. Chapter 15

**Author-chan: **Thanks to everyone for reviewing, it keeps the chapters flowing nicely! I already did post this on another website, so it's already pretty quick, but I have to revise a couple of things every chapter ^^ So thanks for the support! Take it away, Naruto-kin!

**Chibi Naruto: **Aurthor-chan doesn't own anything except for her original chara's! It all belongs to the wonderful producers of _Naruto!_ Please Review and give Aurthor-chan critiques that can make things better! It makes her happy!

**Chapter 15: The Demon Within**

Everything was black. I couldn't feel anything but the numbness of my own body, if you could say that. I knew that I was being controlled; I knew that I was being carried, and I knew that something was wrong. But, I didn't know how to break free, to get away from the darkness. I was tired of being the one to always pass out after something happens, I was tired of being controlled, and I was tired of being weak, not able to defend myself from Chieko. Sometimes she was helpful but other times she caused me so much pain that I've began to think it isn't worth it.

So, I was feeling pain, again But I wouldn't let it get the best of me, take over me. Even if I felt like I was suffocating in sand, I wouldn't react to it. Even If I felt like I was dying a very slow and painful death I wouldn't acknowledge it. I would ignore it, I would overcome it. I opened my eyes, seeing what was happening through Chieko's eyes... Well my eyes that she was controlling. I couldn't control where I looked but I didn't have to. I saw exactly what I needed to snap.

I remembered back to where Gaara and I were talking on the rooftop that night, about our pasts and what we've been through. I also remembered what I warned him, and how I was completely serious about it. I honestly wouldn't have attacked if he didn't do it, I swear I wouldn't. But he was, and I would.

Gaara was attacking Sasuke.

Yet, if we were in the arena that wouldn't bother me. We weren't though. They were in some sort of forest, though still in Konoha. I felt anger bubble up to my chest, taking over me. But I let it. Anger was something I could take. Pain was not. My curse seal broke, because I allowed it to. My desperation to overcome the pain and the fact that I was controlled triggered it, causing the weird markings to spread over my skin. My eyes grew sharper, my nails sharper, and my teeth stronger. My ears and tail sprouted quickly. I felt myself regain control, causing me to smirk.

_I had done it._

The curse mark was different this time. I wasn't in complete control of it yet. It was flowing blood lust into me, trying to cloud my judgment so I could attack and kill everyone around me. But I wouldn't let it. I forced myself to overpower it by thinking of protecting instead of fighting. My eyes focused again and I jumped in front of Sasuke, grabbing Gaara's weird arm. It seems like he was transforming into Shakaku... and fast. I punched the now forming Raccoon Dog in the face and he flew back, breaking through a couple trees. I felt the power, surging through me, heightening my senses. I was really become the demon within me. But I knew I could control it, so why push it away? No. I embraced it and accepted it.

I was suddenly pulled out of my high as Chieko began to scream again, louder than ever before. My body shook violently as I tried to push her back, to keep her under control. But I couldn't take it. She was stronger than me. I screamed in pain, my body bending backwards. My shirt lifted up slightly as a weird grayish liquid came out of my seal, surrounding me. It was like a little bubble, filled with the liquid. I could breathe it in without any damage but it was doing something to me... My eyes were getting heavy again, my mind shutting down.

My _eyes... they're really heavy... I'm getting tired, too... Maybe if I just rest my eyes for a moment... No!_ I forced my eyes open, trying to fight off the drowsiness. Chieko had completely come out, and she was way bigger than the wolf I summoned. Something wasn't right, though. Instead of having two tails, she had three. From the left of me I could hear yelling, and then a deeper voice warn someone not to let Garra and I fall asleep. _Why?_

I wish I could see who's talking, but I can't move my head. Now that they mention me not falling asleep I'm even more tired than before! Slowly I let my eyes drift closed, warmth surrounding me. I clung to it, being pulled deeper into the darkness. The silence comforted me but something was bothering the silence. More screaming and loud noises. It sounded like someone was fighting... _Why should I care, though? The silence is comforting and I don't want to give it up. But what is this feeling inside of me? I can't place it..._

Frustratingly, I was caught in Chieko's grasp again. Although I didn't know it, she was smirking at my weakness, laughing at my pain. It's strange to know that something you think helps you only weakens you so that when you're in a broken state of mind; they snap out and pull you under into the depths of their darkness. And there's nothing that you can do, since you're lured in by the sweetness of its false appearance, also, its warmth that coils around you like a snake, but comforts you like a mother.

Naruto's P.O.V.

_Wow... I hope Mizuki's safe... that grayish stuff around her... what is it?_

"Okay, Toad, here we go!" I yelled, kneeling down so I didn't fall off Gamabunta when he ran at Shakaku.

As he ran forward I prepared to attack but Mizuki's wolf blocked Gamabunta's sword with her three tails. Laughing maniacally, she sent a wave of harsh wind our way. Shakaku jumped forward and brought down his large fist of sand. My eyes widened and I made hand signs for my favorite Jutsu, 100 shadow clones appearing to slow the blow. Gamabunta pushed backwards and we got away. I got ready for another one of their frontal attacks but it never came. I glanced nervously around.

"Boy, I can't grab onto anything in this state! I need you to think of a huge animal with claws, okay?" Gamabunta said.

"Got it." I replied, closing my eyes and thinking of something huge.

Suddenly I was flying forwards, clinging onto Gamabunta's head. He whirled around and then transformed into the animal I thought of, the 9 tailed fox. Shakaku's tail aimed itself at him but Gamabunta easily dodged, moving quicker because of his body. I was suddenly pulled off of Gamabunta and Chieko's tail wrapped itself around me, squeezing me tightly. Gamabunta lunged at Chieko but she just threw me. Shakaku's sand caught me as I was flying through the air and it seeped all around my body like a cocoon. Feeling like they were playing hot potato and I was the potato, I groaned, becoming slightly dizzy. Unable to do anything about the sand, I flinched and then started to go limp.

"Naruto, look out!" a voice yelled.

I looked over to see Sasuke looking up at us weakly, clutching his arm in pain. Chieko just giggled and breathed deep, exhaling and sending a large gust of wind at him. His eyes widened and he tried to jump away but it was too late. The wind hit him full force, sending him spiraling towards the ground. He landed with a loud thud, remaining motionless, even when I yelled at him and called him names. I tried to make hand signs but Shakaku was too quick. He squeezed me tighter, my legs on the verge of snapping like twigs. Gamabunta lashed out with all nine tails, causing Shakaku to lose his grip on me. Gamabunta caught me and brought me back to his head, his eyes cold.

Now, the fight had truly begun.

Gathering up chakra, I allowed Gamabunta to run forwards again, not being jolted in the slightest anymore. Now, for once in my life, I was serious and ready to fight for Mizuki to be returned again. I don't know why, but something just made me want to do anything in my power to get her back. Also, there was this awkward feeling in my chest that I had never experienced before. Was it just raw power? Or was it the urge to throw up or something? No matter what I thought it might be, I had a feeling that that wasn't it.

Then what could it be?

Looking up at Chieko, my gaze went down to the gray liquid that contained Mizuki. I knew that if I was able to break it open, she would most likely wake up – I can't believe that she fell asleep nearly minutes after I was told not to let her. At the last second, I got myself together and helped Gamabunta by using shadow clones again. I know that it can only help a little, but whatever counts is good, right?

"Mizuki, Gaara, wake up! Get your lousy butts awake and fight your demons! Are you going to let them control you like this? FIGHT BACK!" I yelled, only to be met with no response.

Frowning, I wondered how we would attack next. The two demons we were up against were surprisingly awesome at working together, which made me wonder why. I had never seen more than one demon – my own – so it was strange to see two against us like this. How would I get them down without hurting Sakura and Sasuke? Somehow, I needed to get them out of the way.

Easier said than done.

Sasuke was somewhere in the trees, and Sakura was pinned down by Shakaku's sand hand thingy. How would I compete with that? _Ugh! All of this thinking is hurting y head! I should just beat everything out of them and forcefully wake up Mizuki and Gaara!_ I thought, my eyes flashing red as I lurched on Gamabunta's head.

"I'M GOING TO BEAT YOU DOWN!" I yelled before starting another barrage of attacks with Gamabunta.

Mizuki's P.O.V.

_What is this feeling? It feels so… warm_

I'm curled up in a ball, I think, and I feel so much warmer and so much like I'm with them again. _Does that mean that I'm dying? Is being controlled by Chieko really that extreme that it would kill me?_

No.

That's not possible! I would be sick to think of dying just by being controlled, that would be a bad way to die. If anything, I would want to die after killing my brother, or at least while I'm trying to. I can remember… I vowed that I wouldn't die yet! Not until my brother is dead by my feet!

**Flashback**

_A young Mizuki lay sprawled out on the ground, bleeding from a deep wound in her side. She had been trying out a new jutsu, but it unfortunately backfired, leaving her nearly bleed out on the ground. Breathing choppily, she squinted one eye closed due to the continual thread of blood flowing from a cut above her eye. Too weak to even reach up and wipe it away, she felt herself breaking down. It had only been a few months since she vowed to kill her brother, and she was starting to have second thoughts._

_How would she ever amount to him if she couldn't do a simple jutsu?_

_If after one jutsu she was already broken down, how would he be able to take on someone as powerful as Ryou? Her brother right now was at the power level she could only hope to get at age 20. She was 6, so how much pain for how long would she have to train to kill her brother?_

_**Could**__ she really kill her beloved brother?_

_No matter what he did, she loved him with all of her heart. She couldn't think about what would happen when she faced him with a killer intent. Would she even go through with it? Maybe she would have him on the verge of death if she ever got that good, but would she be able to plunge her weapon into his heart and watch the life slowly drain from him? Could she watch his brown eyes become dull and lifeless with the clutch of death overcoming him?_

_Just these few months had given her enough thoughts to make her reconsider and just try and move on with her life._

_But still, that soothing voice was in the back of her head, nudging her to the point of no return._

_**You can do it, don't give up just because of one failed jutsu! **__The high pitched voice exclaimed, almost seeming to take joy in the pain and depression she was in, __**All you have to do is keep your head high and train until you get it right. To get this far without a teacher is something only someone in the Gesshu Clan could do. You were trained for these types of circumstances… Take advantage of that!**_

_Renewed, Mizuki felt her wounds begin to heal. Standing up, she winced in pain, grabbing her side. No matter what… She would do this!_

"_I'll kill you Ryou!" she yelled, shocking the people watching nearby._

_She started her Jutsu again, her eyes unknowingly turning purple, just like before when she trained with Ryou to learn how to climb trees with only her feet. Running at her target, her purple jutsu sprung to life, cleanly slicing through every tree she hit. The jutsu was not complete yet, no, but it was amazingly modified._

"_I will not die! I won't die until I kill him!"_

**Mizuki Flashback End**

* * *

><p><strong>What happened that she didn't see<strong>

_Tsunade and Kakashi watched from nearby, amazed at her skill and raw determination. Also watching was the Third. He watched her intently, something in his eyes that was unreadable. But something else that was there was pride… But for what reason? The Gesshu female didn't belong to the Leaf Village until her Clan's Massacre, so why would he feel pride for something his Village didn't do? It was confusion to ponder, but the two around him seemed to understand and share his feelings. He knew exactly how to mold this child into a beautiful Kuniochi._

"_Kakashi, when she gets older, you will mentor her. Teach her and guide her, and make sure that she doesn't try to leave the Leaf to go after her brother. I know that there will be tons wanting her power, and if they get on her good side and help her with what she wants, then we will be in big trouble. I know you already have your hands full with the two I have already mentioned, but I think only you will be able to train someone like her." He spoke, catching the attention of both the ninja._

"_Of course, lord Hokage. I would be honored to take on the Gesshu prodigy." The Anbu mask clad man said, smiling to himself._

_He knew that he would enjoy training someone like her._

**End**

Mizuki nodded to herself. She remembered. She had done amazing things when she believed in something, mostly herself. She knew that if she kept believing in herself, her brother would fall to his knees and then the ground by her hand. She had the drive and the skill to do it if she kept progressing. _Orochimaru… It seems that every time I think of him, his proposal grows more enticing…_


	16. Chapter 16

**Aurthor-chan: **This is in Naruto's P.O.V in the beginning! :D

**Chapter 16: Mizuki's Hidden Feelings!**

Gamabunta ran at Shakaku, looking for an opening so we could attack. Suddenly, he lunged forward, striking out strongly with his sword. Shakaku tried to block it but Gamabunta had tricked him; in a few seconds he was behind Shakaku, a sword through his stomach. Shakaku growled and jumped away, the sword sliding out of his body. No damage had been made, and that's what made Gamabunta's eyes widen. I wasn't really even paying attention to that, though. My eyes were locked on Mizuki and Chieko, although I still only really saw Mizuki. Her eyes were closed and I guessed that she was asleep. This isn't good, I thought, Mizuki isn't supposed to fall asleep!

Of course I saw her asleep before… But now I decided that if she was going to ever be back to normal, I would need to wake her up. But how? Not wanting to hurt my mind thinking of a way, I just leapt down off Gamabunta for a moment to try and slice the bubble with a kunai. Before I even got close, I was batted away like a flea, Chieko hissing at me.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she asked, in her extremely high pitched voice, coming at me again.

"Mizuki!" I yelled before she could get to me again, "Snap out of it and wake up already!"

Her eyes didn't even flutter. Cheiko smirked and took two large leaps toward us. Gamabunta worked fast picked me up again and with my help he slid under Chieko and kicked up. Chieko howled in pain and flew into the air. Like a cat, though, she spun and landed on her paws, reminding me slightly of Mizuki. My heart ached just to think of it. Why wouldn't she wake up? If she doesn't get up soon then I don't know or want to know what will happen! Gamabunta is looking really worn out...

Not to mention, _I'm_ worn out. And if I'm worn out, then we won't last much longer since he needs my jutsu to help him out sometimes. How will we be able to beat them if we're worn out and they look like they're just about to start battling?

Gambunta ran at them again, and I held on as he sent a barrage of swords at them, turning out of the way of their attacks and then leaping backwards so they wouldn't be able to get him while he was close. He then went back again, grabbing Chieko's tail and then Shakaku's sand. Quickly before the sand could wrap around him, he threw them into a couple of trees, a low grunt coming from him because of the effort put in.

Suddenly sand wrapped around Gamabunta and flung him backwards. I clung onto him the best as I could as he was sent through a countless number of trees but somewhere in the middle of crashing I flew off, skidding harshly on the ground. They never seem to get tired! Even now they look like they are just about to start fighting; they only have one or two scratches from the attacks we've made. I struggled to get up and felt myself be put back on Gamabunta's head. I'm grateful for his endurance but if this keeps up we might not make it!

"No! I will never give up!" I exclaimed, wondering how I could have thought that way, "I won't give up. That's my nindo, MY NINJA WAY!"

And with that, I struggled to get up, closing one eye in pain and stumbling over to where Gamabunta was getting up again.

"You ready kid? The odds don't look high. We're battling against tailed beasts. You may have a beast in you, but I don't and even with the way I look, I don't have nearly the power the nine tails does." Gamabunta told him, letting Naruto get back on his head.

"Don't you worry! We'll beat them to a pulp, together!"

With a battle cry, we went back into battle, eyes flashing with determination and ready to win. They wouldn't get us down! We can do this! All we need to do is either wake up Gaara or Mizuki, and then it'll be so much easier! With Mizuki we could take down Gaara, and if we took down Gaara first, then we would be able to get to Chieko much easier!

"All right! Here we come!"

**Mizuki's P.O.V.**

It hurt me so much to see Naruto and Sasuke get hurt. Although Naruto and Gamabunta let our numerous punches, kicks, and attacks it was no use. Every single time they were just pushed aside and their attacks deflected. I can't control my god damn body! But even if I could, what would I do? I have no control over Chieko, ever since Naruto and Gamabunta started attacking Shakaku the little restraint I could make Chieko have was shattered. Now I'm fighting to stay awake. My eyes are closed but that's only because I don't have the strength to keep them open. The need for sleep is growing though, I can feel it. Maybe if I can activate the curse mark then I can break free and take over! I just have to get angry... This is for you, Naruto!

Flinching once again, I tried to get myself angry, or do anything to get myself in control again. _Maybe, If I think about all the times Team 7 and I shared, it would get my angry enough that they hurt Naruto and Sasuke. This better work!_

Flashback

"_Mizuki, why do you do this to yourself?" Sasuke asked her, panting alongside her as she was on her knees._

_They had trained together once again, heightening their teamwork skills and their solo power. It just seemed like they could feed off of each other's emotions, and Sasuke could feel what she was going through. She pushed herself to the limit every time she trained, and to think that the Gesshu Clan had higher limits then himself kept him wondering how she could push herself that far. His body would never let him._

"_I do it… Because I have to get to my brother, you know that. But also…" she paused, looking over at him and almost smiling, "I do it so that I'll be able to protect you knuckle heads! You'll probably get yourself in trouble being all cocky, and Naruto being Naruto will get himself beat up by a stick and Sakura… Well, let's just say she couldn't hurt a fly, literally. She'd probably run away screaming." She finished, chuckling._

_Sasuke shook his head and rolled his eyes, smirking. "So that's what it is, huh. Well, maybe you're getting to soft! Shouldn't you be only worrying about your brother?"_

"_My brother is my number one priority, don't get me wrong. But I would be lying if I said if you were in danger I wouldn't try to help you out with all of my power."_

_Mizuki then tried to get up but nearly fell back over, weakened by lack of chakra._

"_I got cha'. Don't forget, we'll be there for you too."Sasuke told her, wrapping her arm around his shoulder and his arm around her waist. "Now, let's get you home so that you can rest."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Wait up, Mizuki!" Naruto exclaimed, following me like a lost puppy.<em>

_Sighing, I turned and walked backwards, shaking my head at him. "You're so pathetic. As soon as you have no money and want me to treat you to ramen, you're like this. Always following my like a dog and begging." I said, rolling my eyes and sighing once again._

"_Heh heh, no I'm not! It's just that you're so awesome and powerful and amazing… How could you resist treating this lowlife to some ramen? Huh? Whadda say?" he exclaimed cheesily, laughing like a little kid._

"_You're hopeless, Naruto. But fine. Let's go." She said, sighing and making her way towards Ichiraku Ramen._

"_Yeah! Mizuki, you're the best!"_

That's it! The curse mark seal… is broken!

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

Gamabunta flew back again and broke through even more trees. I once again flew off and skidded on the ground, my face in the dirt. I struggled to stand and looked over at Gamabunta. He nodded and we went again, grabbing a tree in his tail on the way. Throwing the tree at him caused a diversion, and he was able to latch onto him and give me the signal to attack. I nodded and flew downwards.

"Eat this, Gaara!" I yelled, pulling back my fist pushing it forwards when I got close enough.

Luckily, my attack hit, and Gaara was awoken. _Yes!_ I thought, jumping backwards.

"Why you…! You managed to disperse some of my jutsu!" he exclaimed, glaring hatefully with those sea green eyes.

_I understand how he feels. If I hadn't met Iruka-sensei, Kakashi-sensei, Sasuke, Sakura, and… Mizuki, then I don't know where I'd be. Would I be like him? Hating the world and lusting only to protect oneself?_

Next thing I knew, we were flying through the air again by Chieko. I flew off and rolled on the ground, jumping up nearly a second later, ready to get back on Gamabunta. He was leaning against the tree that he didn't go through but it was groaning because of his weight. He wasn't moving, just laying there. I was about to run to him but a loud high pitched scream almost messed up my eardrums. Wincing, I turned around to see what the problem was. My face lit up and a smile grew immediately. Chieko was about to charge for Gamabunta but she stopped, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. The weird bubble Mizuki was in had burst and somehow she had weird markings on her body, cat ears and a tail visible as she stood on Chieko's head.

"Do NOT hurt Naruto!" she screamed, growing menacingly.

Shivers ran down my spine as she advanced on Shakaku, using Chieko as an advantage. She made her fight Shakaku and showed who the better fighter was. Shakaku was getting pummeled left and right, curses coming out of his and Chieko's mouth. But suddenly Shakaku lashed out and pushed Chieko and Mizuki aside, punching her side. Mizuki screamed in pain. I guess since she had control over Chieko she also felt her pain. Shakaku's sand grabbed me suddenly by my throat, lifting me really high up in the air. Surprised, I clawed at it, struggling to release the hold so I could breathe. My vision was getting fuzzy after a while. The pain had increased and then suddenly just stopped completely. My whole body was numb.

From what I could see, Mizuki was coming at me with Chieko, trying to get the sand away from my neck. Then, everything started getting fuzzy, so I couldn't make out anything else but a weird blur that hurt my eyes. _Damnit! Mizuki, you've gotta take down Gaara now. He's almost out of it, just hurry!_

"Mi-Mizuki..." I choked out and then, everything went black.

**Mizuki's P.O.V.**

"Naruto! NARUTO!" I screamed, watching his body fall limp.

Shakaku's eyes widened in surprise but I wondered why. Then, I saw Gamabunta behind him, his sword through his body. He hit Gaara's head harshly and he gasped, his forehead starting to bleed, and also causing Shakaku to disappear. Naruto's body was released from the sand and he began to fall diving style back to the ground. Shocked and scared I leaped off of Chieko, her body disappearing. I tried to make myself fall faster to reach Naruto so I brought my arms to my sides and cut through the air like a knife. Finally I was able to grab hold of his torn jacket. It ripped though and my eyes widened, watching the cloth fly away.

I snatched at him again, my hand grabbing his torso. I pulled him into me, wrapping my arms around him protectively. I turned around to that I would take the most damage and closed my eyes as we hit the trees and screamed in pain. Finally we hit the ground and rolled. When we stopped I was on top of him, my hair out of its pony tail and hiding one side of his face as I peered down at him. My cheeks reddened at the fact that I was straddling him, our bodies tangled. His eyes were closed, his breathing hardly noticeable and a ring around his neck where he was choked. A small sob broke through my chest and I called out to him.

"Naruto! Get up, please! Please Naruto! I couldn't take it if you died!" I screamed down at him, our noses just barely touching as I stared down at him, waiting for his lively blue eyes to open. Just then I had a moment of realization. I noticed how much Naruto meant to me, now that he was on the brinks of death. Suddenly his eyes began to flutter and then, they opened. "Naruto?"

"Mizuki? You're okay!" he said, lifting his head up.

I pulled him into a hug and slowed my breathing, closing my eyes. I blushed slightly when his warm arms wrapped around me, giving me a feeling of safety. There was only one other person that could make me feel this safe… And that was Sasuke. But it was extremely comforting to know that not only did Sasuke calm me, but Naruto did as well. Naruto had always been there for me, and I was glad that for once I had been able to be there for him and save him from hurting himself further.

_Gaara… He's still conscious!_ I thought, seeing him land a couple feet from us. Glaring, I started off towards him, but Naruto beat me to it, dragging himself over. I wasn't able to hear what they said, but the next thing I knew Sasuke was beside me.

"Sasuke, you're alright!" I whispered, smiling up at him.

He nodded and smirked, picking me up bridal style and putting my hair back into its normal ponytail. I knew that my hair was too long to be a ninja, but I didn't dare cut it. My mom had loved my hair, and always wanted it to be long. So why would I cut it? It would be like doing something against my mothers wishes.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little banged up. You, however, look like you just got ran over by a car."

"Shut up Sasuke!" I yelled, kicking him in the side.

He grunted and rolled his eyes, muttering something about being stubborn. But then, he calmed down and looked down at me with those onyx eyes, putting me in a trance. He brushed the bangs from my face and smiled down at me.

"Mizuki… Try not to get yourself hurt like that again, please?" he asked softly, trailing his eyes down my body and looking at all of the cuts and gashes on my skin.

"Yeah yeah, I'll try. I won't promise you." I replied, turning my head to the side to hide my blush.

"Good. Now, you should rest. You're chakra level is really low."

Suddenly, I was overcome by a wave of peace and was finally able to realize how much pain I was in. I gasped out and trembled. I had pretty much nothing left to keep me going. He didn't notice our position yet and I was glad he didn't. To me, it seemed as if he was about to kiss me, with his head bent down like that. I wasn't any better, though. With my arms around his neck, and my body snuggled up close to his, it looked like I wanted to kiss him. I didn't want things to be awkward for us right now, so I said nothing. All I wanted was to rest...

"Thanks for reminding me, you idiot Sas-"

And then I fell asleep.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen: Sleepover? NO FREAKIN WAY!**

The two weeks after I had woken up, I went to Hokage-sama's burial. I didn't cry; I was really unaffected. Sure he was a nice man, but I didn't have any type of connection to him. Also, I avoided Naruto. I need to try to stay away from emotions, they make me weaker. It irritated me that even after connecting with the more demonic side of me; I was still affected by petty things that should have been stupid to me. So, I trained extra hard, one of the only things I did now a days. I still met up with my team, Sakura, Sasuke and...Naruto.

Although I didn't see him in person other than training with Kakashi-sensei, I thought about him occasionally. At night, when I went up to the roof after my nightmares, I'd see his face while looking up at the moon. Unfortunately, I never got anymore strange, white-roomed visits from my parents. Although that made me sad, I knew it was for the best. I would eventually break down and kill myself just to be able to see them for real.

Sasuke was a different story. I did see him often; we trained together even outside of team training. He also often came to my house and we just talked or goofed off, something that I would never tell anyone. It wasn't anything to be ashamed of – all we did was compete over stupid things like throwing kunai and beating clones.

Now, I walked through the streets of Konoha, glancing at the sun now and again. I walked past Sushi Palace and Steak House Deluxe, ignoring the happenings around me. I caught the scent of ramen and walked into Ichiraku Ramen.

"Hey, old man. I'll take two beef ramen" I muttered apathetically.

He nodded, used to my dark attitude. I could admit it, I had gotten closed up more, I never showed any emotion in my eyes, and I only smirked. I smirked slightly when ramen was placed in front of me and began to slowly eat.

"HEY, OLD MAN! I'LL TAKE MY USUAL! ADD ONE FOR THIS PERVERTED OLD MAN, TOO!" Naruto yelled as he walked over, a man with long, spiky white hair, black eyes, and red marks going down his face following, clearly annoyed.

I hissed under my breath. What's he doing here? I thought as I hoped he wouldn't see me.

"HEY MIZUKI!" Naruto yelled, as if he just read my mind.

"Whatever," I said lowly, now looking up.

"Hey, could you be Mizuki Gesshu?" the man said, taking a seat beside me.

"If I was, what would you want?" I said venom in every word.

"Hahaha. You're a feisty one, aren't you? If you are her, then I was ordered by the Konoha Council to take you with me and Naruto. We're going to ask a woman to become our new Hokage. Her name is Lady Tsunade." the man replied, digging into his ramen when Teuchi, the store owner placed it in front of him.

I sighed and closed my eyes, silently cursing. _Why_ did I have to go?

"And how do I know that? Where's your proof? And even if they actually said that, why do they want me to come?" I asked sighing loudly again and putting money on the table.

I looked up with my emotionless blue eyes and pulled out a kunai, twirling it loosely on my fingers. The man watched me as he ate stopping and wiping his mouth.

"Here's there written statement. As you can see, they want you to go for a reason that is unknown and confidential. I don't even know it." He paused and breathed deep, looking at Naruto as he devoured his ramen at lightning speed, "I know you obviously don't want to go but what they say goes. I would like if you came to the village gates two days from now at six o'clock sharp. You will need clothes for at most two weeks, a sleeping bag, and any ninja weapons that you would use to defend yourself."

I growled slightly and stood up, turning on my heel and hissing out, "You're damn right I don't want to go. I will be there anyway. See you then..." I paused, realizing I didn't even know the guys name.

"Jirya," he said, watching me as I glared and turned.

I walked to my training spot and stabbed my kunai in the ground. I jumped high in the air, twisting my body expertly. I focused hard and began my training...

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

I watched as Mizuki walked away, shocked. I guess I've already noticed it but...wow. She's turned colder ever since our fight with Gaara. She doesn't talk when we're training, and she trains harder, even more then we do...I guess revenge has possessed her now...

"Hey. Naruto. Do you know why she was so cold? I mean, I know about her Clan and all... but, god, she was worse than I would've thought." Ero-sennin said, eating another bowl of ramen.

I slurped up the rest of my ramen juice and replied, "Yeah. She used to be kinda nice, like halfway but I don't know. Ever since the fight with Gaara, she avoids everyone. She doesn't even talk to me when we train, or anyone else for that matter. I never see her around anymore. Well, once I saw her on the roof of an apartment building...just staring at the moon... but other than that, nothing. She has gotten colder than ever before, though."

He nodded, standing up. He waved at me slightly when two women walked by and he was off, claiming about doing some 'research'. I walked to my apartment, with my hands behind my neck and my head up to the sky. Suddenly, though, I bumped into someone who was running by me. I spun in a circle before falling over.

"A-ah! G-gomen, Na-Naruto-k-kun! I w-was sent b-by Ino to a-ask you I-if you wanted to c-come t-to a s-sleepover!" Hinata exclaimed, turning beat red.

"Huh? Ino said that? Oh are you okay, Hinata? Your red!" I said, placing my hand on her forehead. _Hmmm...A little warm. _She squeaked and almost passed out. I sighed slightly. What's wrong with her? She's always like this around me. Maybe... Nah. "Oh, well... I don't know... I guess. Who else is going?" I asked, tightening my headband.

"U-um m-me, S-Sakura, Ino, K-Kiba, Shikamaru, Choji, Sasuke, a-and possibly y-you and Mizuki." she replied, looking down at the ground.

"Oh... okay! I'll definitely be there! What time is it?... and what do I need?"

"U-um, its a-a-at 7:00 a-and yo-you just n-need a sleeping b-bag a-and I-I guess paj-pajamas"

"Okay Hinata! Thanks for telling me! See ya later!"

I waved at her before turning and making my way back to my apartment, which was right down the road. I walked in and stepped over clothes, food containers, and rotting food that was on the floor. I grabbed my sleeping bag and pajamas, looking at the time. Hmmm, I thought, its only 5:00. Maybe I can take a little nap... I fell onto the couch and closed my eyes, falling into a deep sleep.

**Mizuki's P.O.V**

I don't know how this happened. I was just practicing my Darkness Style Jutsu, but suddenly I couldn't control my movements. I was turned around by an imaginary force to see... God, not her! It was Shikamaru and Ino. I was caught by Shikamaru's Shadow Possession Jutsu. But I don't know what they want from me.

"What the hell do you want?" I asked, "I need to train. I don't have time for your stupid games."

"Umm, well, I'm having a sleepover and I want you to come to it!" Ino chirped, "I made Shikamaru come along so he could make you hear me out!"

"This is troublesome... hurry up Ino so we can go back" Shikamaru said, lazily sitting down, which I mimicked.

I growled loudly and said, "Well, spit it out! I don't have time to waste so talk. _Now_."

"Well, I know you probably don't want to come but please! It would make me really happy and I promise not to bother you for a month!" Ino said quickly.

I glared at her and thought_, No Ino... for a month... hmmm_. "Fine. Don't expect me to do anything special or anything."

She giggled and pulled Shikamaru up. He released the Jutsu and I returned to training.

"Oh yeah! Meet us at my house at 7:00! Bring pajamas!" Ino and Shikamaru turned and ran away.

I looked up at the sun. Hmm.. its 6:00. I might want to get ready soon... I sighed. I'm going to regret agreeing to this...

* * *

><p><strong>7:00<strong>

I walked into Ino's house and sighed when I saw my team, Hinata's team and Ino's team. They looked up at me and Ino squealed, getting up.

"Mizuki! You came!" Ino said, trying to glomp me.

I scooted to the right and she ran into the door. Sasuke chuckled slightly.

He looked up at me and sighed "What she say to get you to come?" Sasuke questioned.

"She won't bother me for a month. You?" I replied, sitting down beside him.

"Same."

I guess me and Sasuke just... got each other. I saw him as an best friend or maybe a brother.. one that wouldn't kill my family and SMILE about it. I guess since we went through the same things we had more of a connection. Also, we both wanted revenge. I need to tell him what I said I would in the Chuunin Exams, though. I sighed and looked up as Naruto walked in the door. I looked back down uninterested and picked my nail, wanting so badly to go train. I leaned back and looked up at Ino as she stood up from her place at the door.

"Hey! I think we should play a game! How about Truth or Dare?" Ino exclaimed.

"No." Sasuke and I said at the same time.

"Oh yes you are!" Ino and Sakura said, stomping and glaring at us.

"No"

"Yes."

"No"

"YES!"

"NO!"

"If you don't do it your deal is off, and we'll get your fan boys/girls to bother you! For two months!"

"..."

"Good!"

I sighed and joined the circle everybody made. I looked up and saw Ino join the circle last.

"Okay! Well... I guess I'll go first! Sasuke-kun truth or dare?" Ino said, blushing and looking at Sasuke.

"...truth" he replied.

"Do you like Mizuki?" She asked.

I glared at her silently and looked over at Sasuke to see what he would say. He looked over at me and shook his head, his eyes flashing. After looking into his eyes, I felt like blushing but quickly buried the need, wondering what was wrong with me. His answer also produced a strange reaction in me. It was a pang of something…

"No. Now, Naruto... truth or dare?" he said.

"DARE ALL THE WAY! BELEIVE IT!" Naruto exclaimed, standing up and jumping around.

" I dare you to run around Konoha screaming how much of an idiot you are."

"NANI? (what) NO WAY!"

"Are you chicken?" I asked, glancing up at him.

"NO! I NEVER BACK DOWN! BELEIVE IT!"

Naruto walked over to the door and opened it, making a weird noise and glaring outside the door. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Would he just get on with it already? I was tired of seeing him pout like a little baby.

"Well? Go on then. Unless you're a chicken?" I taunted.

Naruto disappeared out of the door, a loud screaming making us cover out ears in pain. We all waited as he got attacked by a villager, and then silently watched as he walked back in. Everyone laughed as Naruto took his seat again.

"Humph. Mizuki, truth or dare?" Naruto asked, his eyes glinting evilly.

I shivered slightly and replied, "Truth"

He smirked and asked, "Come on, you can do better than that!"

"Truth."

"Fine! Do you like anyone in this room?"

I tried to remain calm. I don't like anyone, right? Then why am I getting this feeling? Like... I do. NO! Impossible, no feelings for anyone. I'm just imagining it. That always happens when you're put on the spot like that, I'm sure of it. "No. I don't like anyone. Emotions get in the way anyway. Now, Sakura truth or dare?"

"Dare! What are you going to do? Make me kiss Sasuke-kun? That's a good one!"

"Hmm. I dare you to kiss Kiba."

Her eyes widened and she glanced at Kiba. She looked back at me and glared before slightly kissing Kiba and sitting down in a huff. The rest of the game was annoying, so I pretty much tuned it out. I thought about what would happen when Naruto, me and that Jiraiya guy went to get Tsunade.

"Hey Mizuki? Mizuki? Earth to Mizuki? You there?" Kiba said, waving his hand in front of me, snapping me out of my trance.

I grabbed his hand and looked up at him, nodding. I looked around and noticed everyone dancing but me, Kiba and Sasuke. I sighed and growled.

"No." I said, knowing what he wanted to ask.

**Sasuke's P.O.V**

I watched at Kiba started to do his dare. I remembered what it was...

**Flashback To Thirty Minutes Ago**

_"Kiba, truth or dare?" Shikamaru had said, sighing._

_"Dare!" Kiba exclaimed._

_"Okay... I dare you to ask Mizuki to dance when the music comes on." We all looked over at Mizuki whose eyes were glazed over. She was deep in thought so she probably didn't notice. "So, do you guys know what the deal is with Mizuki?" Shikamaru asked, laying down and closing his eyes._

_"Yes, but I won't tell you. Also, I advise you not to ask her. It's a sensitize subject for her." I warned._

_It truly was a sensitive subject. We had talked about it once before the Chuunin Exams, and she nearly broke down in tears. I never wanted to see her cry… I wanted her to achieve her goal, just like me, and I also wanted her by my side every step of the way. It wasn't hard for me to admit that she was the best training partner that I've had. Besides Kakashi-sensei, of course. But then, there could be an even greater one than even him…_

_Orochimaru…_

_Anyways, everyone but Kiba nodded. I never noticed, though. He was petting Akamaru and smirking, his eyes a deeper, colder black than before. Hinata sighed and looked down. _

_I knew they were friends when they were younger, but I didn't think she was still affected by anything. I guess even Mizuki has the power to make someone love her so much that even after over five years have passed, she can't get over it._

**End Flashback**

Mizuki continuously shook her head as Kiba pleaded for her to dance with him. For some reason I felt angry about his pestering but ignored it easily. Ino then walked over to her and said something to her that made her get up quickly, glaring hatefully at Ino. She made her way over here with Kiba, a dark aura around her. She turned to face him, her back to me. Just then, though, a slow song came on. She groaned and I turned away, going to lean against the wall. No, Ino, I won't dance with you. Not you either, Sakura. Get away from me…

**Mizuki's P.O.V**

I sighed as I danced with Kiba. It was awkward. He looked at me and smirked slightly to himself, making me shiver. I knew he was up to no good. What was up with him? He usually was goofy and just up for fun. I had never seen him act like this…

"Hey Mizuki. I have something to tell you." he said.

Something in me did NOT want to know what he was going to say or do.

Something told me that something bad was going to happen…

"And what is it that you want to say?" I asked reluctantly.

His smirk got wider as he leaned towards me and murmured in my ear, "He won't stop. He knows you. He will not rest until you are dead. You can't hide forever. Someday you can meet him. Oh, and one more thing. I hope you remember what I'm about to say: 'I hate you, Mizuki, I've always hated you. You're just a worthless piece of shit, just like the rest of the Gesshu Clan I would kill you, but what fun would that be? No. I want you to suffer and become stronger and seek me out to kill.'"

My eyes widened. _How...?_ Then, he put his index fingers on both sides of my head. Images forcibly came into my head, making me relive that day... I fell to my knees, grabbing my head. I screamed and cried in agony, feeling like something was stabbing me through the heart. I shook violently as people rushed over, but I was barely aware. _Bodies... Blood… Everywhere!_

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

I was sitting down watching Mizuki when suddenly her eyes widened when Kiba whispered something in her ear. He placed his index fingers on both sides of her head and she fell to the ground. I shot up, running to her side as she began to scream and cry. There's only one reason why she'd show any emotion... I punched Kiba in the face as he began laughing in a way that wasn't like him. His head whipped to the side and he fell to the ground, black liquid seeping eerily out of his mouth. What was going on?

I rushed over to Mizuki and lifted her up, running out the door to go to the Hospital. I needed to get her help.

Now.


	18. Chapter 18

**Arthor-chan: **Yes, there have been a lot of flashbacks recently, but I thought it made you get to know Mizuki more ^^ So I hope you enjoy this chapter! The next one will be in third person

**Chapter 18: Training**

"Mizuki, Mizuki! Wake up. If you can hear me, wake up." a nagging voice said to me.

Slowly, I opened my eyes. I was in the hospital... Again. I sat up and groaned, looking for the person that got me up. It was some doctor. I wondered why I was in the hospital... Why was I in the hospital? I can remember going to Ino's stupid party, falling asleep, and then... Kiba! My eyes widened and I started shaking. _Kiba... he... he... He put me in a genjutsu? I didn't know he could... I thought he was nice... someone that wouldn't bother me at least._ I took a deep breath and tried to calm down. My heart had accelerated, making the doctor lean down to me and tell me to calm down. I took deep breaths, refusing to cry. After a few minutes of breathing deep, I pulled back up my emotionless mask. I turned to the doctor and glared.

"I would like to leave. I have important things to do."

He nodded but didn't stop staring at me. I just got up and moved around him, running out of the building. I headed towards my house, opening the door and slipping inside. I closed and locked it behind me. I walked up into my room, deciding to pack for when I left with Jiraiya and Naruto tomorrow. I sighed. _Why do they want me to go on that mission? I have no ties with anyone really, so what would be the reason? Is it… Chieko?_ I got a flashback of the fight with Gaara and Naruto, wincing at the thought. _Hey, now that I think about it, Chieko has been quiet lately… That's not like her_, I thought.

I walked up the stairs and into my room, getting out clothes and other necessities. I packed them all into a bag and threw it on my bed, walking back out and down the stairs. Just as I reached the bottom step I heard a knock on the door. _Who could that be? It could only be Sasuke or pestering Naruto… _I walked over to the door and unlocked it, pulling it open.

"Hey, Mizuki." Sasuke said, leaning against my door frame.

"Hey Sasuke." I replied opening the door wider so he could come in.

He shook his head. "Kakashi-sensei was too lazy to call you so he made me come. We're training again today since he heard you were out of the Hospital. It's a one on one battle."

I nodded and smirked, grabbing my kunai pouch and following him out of the door. I licked it behind me and we jumped off toward the training grounds. Something in me was set off though. I felt like I was being watched by something or someone. I did a quick 360 scan of the area but couldn't see anything. I sighed and put the thought out of my mind. I was probably just being paranoid. Sasuke and I landed in a different spot than usual. It was a clearing by a huge lake. I smirked. Kakashi-sensei must really be watching us today to bring us here. I could see so many ways to hide, attack and counter attack just by looking around.

"Good, you guys made it here. I should think Sasuke filled you in, Mizuki but were having one on one battles today. The match ups are Naruto vs. Sakura and then Winner vs. Sasuke and then Winner vs. Mizuki. Got it?" Kakashi-sensei said from his perch on a branch.

"Hai." Sasuke, Sakura and I said.

"YEAH, BELIEVE IT!" Naruto yelled, pumping his fist in the air.

I glared at his loud voice and sat down by a tree, Sasuke joining me. Naruto and Sakura got into battle stances a couple feet from each other and waited for Kakashi-sensei's signal to begin. Kakashi-sensei put op his hand and immediately Sakura jumped backwards, pulling out a kunai. Naruto rushed at her with a kunai of his own and they clashed. I could tell that Sakura had done at least a little practice as I watched them fight. Usually when we trained she would do a little bit and take a long time doing it. But after the Chuunin Exams she started doing a little more. But, she hadn't done enough. In a couple minutes she was defeated, an over confident Naruto laughing cheesily. Sasuke stood up, his face showing how much he wanted to wipe that look off of Naruto's face.

I smirked and leaned back more, stretching out my legs. Naruto and Sasuke faced each other. They both smirked and got into their fighting stances. I crossed my arms over my chest and waited patiently for Kakashi-sensei to signal the beginning of the match. When his arm went up Naruto was immediately running at Sasuke. Sasuke took out a kunai and got ready to be on the offense. The clash of kunai reached my ears at Naruto pulled his arm back again and lashed out repeatedly, trying to break through Sasuke's defenses. Sasuke finally had enough and pushed Naruto back. He kicked out and landed a hit to Naruto's side, sending him rolling back.

Sasuke made hand signs in the time he had and sent a fireball at Naruto. Naruto rolled out of the way and flipped himself up, making his sigh for Kage no Bunshin (shadow clone Jutsu). Sasuke activated his Sharingan and easily defeated the clones. Naruto though was nowhere to be found. Sasuke turned about, looking for him intensely. At the last second, I saw the ground move just a bit and then out popped Naruto, landing a hard punch to Sasuke's jaw. Sasuke flew up in the air, his face screwed up in pain. Five shadow clone Naruto's were above him, all getting ready to attack. Sasuke was faster, though. He turned around in the air and moved out of the way, smirking in triumph.

But I saw something in the corner of my eye that shocked me. Naruto, in a flash, appeared behind Sasuke, grabbing him and turning him. He punched him once more and his clones were able to perform their attack. Sasuke flew downwards quickly and slammed into the ground.

"Alright, that's enough. Sasuke I don't want you to take in any more damage so Naruto wins." Kakashi-sensei said.

My eyes widened. _No freakin way… Naruto just beat Sasuke? _No… If Sasuke was able to go on he would have won. Sasuke obviously knew that because he just quietly got up and walked beside me. He didn't say anything to me, just got a blank look in his eyes. I smirked and stood up, stretching._ Time to kick butt!_ I walked over to Naruto and pulled out a kunai, twirling it on my finger. I would end this in seconds. I didn't have time to play around with him.

As soon at Kakashi-sensei raised his hand I disappeared. Or moved so fast that he couldn't see me, to be exact. My eyes turned purple and water seeped up from the ground from behind him. He didn't notice it. I smirked. I knew this would be easy. I quickly wrapped the water around him, a sharp spike coming up and hanging inches from his neck. Naruto's eyes widened.

"What the heck? How did this happen? I didn't even get to do anything!" Naruto whined, pouting and glaring at me as I appeared in front of him.

"That's because you're a loser." I said, jumping up into a tree.

"Okay, that's enough training for today you are dismissed." Kakashi-sensei said disappearing.

_That slimy bastard! He just probably wanted to go read his perverted book!_ I thought angrily. But this was good. I needed the rest of the day to grieve. Because… Today is the anniversary of my Clan's death.

I was scared to face this, but I knew it had to be done. Waving to Sasuke, I disappeared and went to my room, kneeling by my bed and closing my eyes. I hugged myself and hunched over, my eyes hollow even though they were closed. Falling down onto my side, I opened my blank eyes, looking at the foot of the bed. I could remember my fist time doing this… It absolutely tore me up…

**Flashback**

_Mizuki ran home from the academy, unable to walk home like normal. She didn't want people to see her cry or see her weak; she wanted that to be seen only by herself, no one else. She wouldn't let people see her weaknesses anymore, she couldn't take knowing that someone had power over her like her brother did._

_Slamming her door open and shut, she leaned her back against it and finally allowed herself to slide down the wood door, sitting down. She hugged herself and closed her eyes, letting herself fall onto her side. Her body wouldn't let her move any further; she didn't think that she would if she could anyways. Tears flowed from her closed eyes, blurring her vision when they opened, looking into nothingness._

_Flashes of her happy time with her family went through her mind, keeping her crying and keeping the memories fresh. She didn't want to think about it, but she didn't want to forget about all of the fun times she shared with her parents and her twin little sisters. She could remember theme asking her to play hide-and-go-seek and then she also remembered chasing them around the house. She remembered training with her father to master at least four jutsus, each being from a different element. She also remembered her father taking her out for dumplings and then to the park to play with Hinata. Then, she remembered her mother._

_Her mother did different things. She taught her how to act like a lady, all while having fun. She also took her to important functions and somehow made the boring old people fun and exciting. Her mother was also the one to come to her room at night and slide into her bed with her, wrapping her arms protectively around her daughter and singing her to sleep. Other times, when she went into her parents room to sleep, they would both wrap their arms around her and hug her close to both of them, making her feel safe and surrounded._

_Tears ran faster now._

_To think that she had loved her brother so much… He took so much time out to be with her. He would stop one of his Anbu reports to take her out into the yard and play tag and other games before her little sisters were born, and he would read her a story almost every night when he wasn't on missions, and he would always tickle her and call her 'Miyuki' after the silent and serene goddess in one of his stories. This always made her laugh because she was the complete opposite of her, though they looked much alike._

_Her brother always made her laugh, and to know that he was the source of all of her heartache was too much for her. _

"_WHY?" she yelled out, clutching her shirt so much that little wrinkles began to form._

_Curled up in a ball hugging herself, her now blank darker blue eyes stared at the kitchen floor that was a couple of yards away from her._

"_Mommy… Daddy… Mai, Jade… I want to see you again…" she whispered, shivering with need._

_There was no mother to come and help dry her tears. Her father was not there to make her laugh and treat her out to dumplings or ice cream. Also, Mai and Jade weren't there to get her mind off of things and ask her to play…_

_She was alone._

**End**

_That's right… After that, it was night time so I visited their graves… _Mizuki thought from her position on the floor. _I'll have to do that tonight._


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Mizuki's Clan**

Rain fell heavily down on Konoha, causing many of the villagers to run inside their comfy homes. The streets were beginning to flood, the once safe walkway turning deadly to clean clothes. Soon, everyone was in their homes or at least in a safe place, all except two people. But these people were on the opposite side of the village, one heading towards the other. The one staying still was in a private cemetery, kneeling down in front of four graves. The female clutched where her heart should be if it was on her shirt tightly, silent tears running down he cheeks. This was the only time she would let herself cry without beating herself up about it. This one day of the year.

The male on the other side of the village liked the rain. The feeling of the cold water on his skin calmed him, one of the few things that did. It seemed like all he was, was angry or stressed, unless he was with his friend, the only person he could say that understood how he felt, that knew the hell he was going through every day. He looked up at the sky, the rain pattering all over his face. His eyes were safe though, his bangs sheltered them from the cold rain. After a while he looked down to make sure he wasn't going to run into anything but he didn't even get his gaze to the ground. He saw a figure hunched over and it seemed like it was shivering a bit ahead. _They're in the cemetery, even though it's pouring rain like this? They must be really grieving. Which cemetery is this anyway…?_

The male looked around for the usual plaque that had the family or Clan name on it. He didn't see one so he approached the figure, his curiosity getting the better of him. He ninja jumped over the muddy ground and landed by the gate of the cemetery, squinting his eyes to get a better look. The hunched figure was very familiar to him but he couldn't really make out their features completely. He did know that it was a female with long dark hair. Something in him was telling him to call out to her.

"Hello, can you hear me?" he asked hesitantly. She looked zoned out and she wasn't moving so he wondered if she actually did hear him. She didn't reply so he jumped over the railing and walked over to her. He lifted his hand up and placed it on her shoulder. "Excuse me I j-"

Suddenly the male felt himself being pushed to the ground, cold metal placed millimeters from his neck. A hand was covering his mouth and blue eyes glazed over with pain and inner turmoil stared at him. Tears were streaming down her face, falling on his neck and face along with the never ending rain. Silence hung over them as he realized immediately who it was.

"Mizuki?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

Was she visiting her Clan's gravesite? He had never seen her here before when he would walk by at night. Mizuki pulled away hesitantly, sitting down in the wet grass.

"Sasuke? What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice cracking.

She didn't bother trying to fix herself up. Sasuke was the only person she could trust when she cried so she just continued to stare blankly at him, her mind somehow still far away. When she sat down Sasuke was able to see behind her. The four gravestones each had a bouquet of lively looking flowers on it, soggy incents were there as well, long out. He could easily pick up the names of the gravesite. He knew these people faintly. He could remember seeing them as a kid. They were Mizuki's family. Her two sisters and parents.

"I was just walking and I saw you. I was curious of what you were doing. I've never seen you here before, why now?" Sasuke replied, his eyes softening.

"Today is the anniversary of my Clan's death. I come here every year on this day… I don't come that often during the year, it's just too painful." Her tears were flowing faster down her face and Sasuke pulled her into him, overwhelmed by unusual emotion.

Just like Mizuki could trust Sasuke when she was crying, he could trust her when he showed emotion. He only did when he was with her. Mizuki shivered from the cold and cried harder, clutching his shirt for dear life. He just sat there quietly, patting her back slightly awkwardly. He wasn't used to seeing her like this. She has cried with him a few times but not like this. He felt privileged to be able to see Mizuki this vulnerable. She was always acting tough, putting up a wall to even him.

"Sorry you had to see me like that, Sasuke." Mizuki whispered, pushing herself off of him.

"Hn." Was his short reply.

"Hey, Sasuke? Do you think you could come to my Clan with me? I always visit it on this day but right now I don't think I can go alone."

Sasuke's eyes widened. No one had ever gone into the Gesshu Clan residents except for Mizuki and Anbu Black Ops. It was sealed off to everyone that didn't have special permission from Mizuki and the Hokage. The Gesshu Clan was at the top of the food chain, so there was a lot of valuable information in there. No one was allowed to remove it.

"Okay, if you want me to." He said softly, standing up and extending his hand to her.

She took his hand and he easily pulled her up, catching her when she stumbled. He was still shocked. She must really be in pain… She's acting so… different. Sasuke let her lead them to her Clan. After a while she stopped.

"You have to close your eyes now. It's not like I don't trust you, it's just that if someone were to figure out that you saw the way into my Clan your mind could be searched. It's a horrible experience." Mizuki said, shuddering.

_I don't think she shivered because she was cold, though._ Sasuke thought. Her eyes had another faraway look to them. What had she been through after her Clan's demise? He closed his eyes obediently, not daring to open them until Mizuki stopped and said he could. Mizuki led him in a maze of turns, twists and back tracks. He knew that the Gesshu Clan was powerful but to have to do all of this? Finally, after a few more minutes of walking, Mizuki stopped.

"You can open your eyes now." She said.

Sasuke opened his eyes and looked around in amazement and horror. Amazement because this is where Mizuki grew up and that there was still an aura that demanded respect lingering. Horror because not many things were tidied up. There were no bodies, of course and the leftovers from the Clan were gone but no blood had been erased. Sure it had been mainly washed away from the rain, but there were notes beside spots, and marks showing where bodies had been laid there dead for who knows how long. He wondered why it was still here.

"Wow…" he muttered, his eyes growing a little in size.

Mizuki said nothing and started walking again. Sasuke followed her, looking around nonstop. Seeing this reminded him of his own Clan. The restaurants, clothing stores, schools and even bars.

"Mizuki, why do you have schools if you go to the ninja academy?" he asked curiously.

Mizuki looked up at him, snapping out of her trance. "Oh, that's because the Gesshu Clan isn't like the others. We had to go to those schools to understand our chakra and how it works with the elements."

Sasuke nodded in understanding and looked up again. Seconds later they stopped in front of a large house. Mizuki began to tremble again, but more than before. He guessed that this was her house. He tried to calm her down by pulling her close again and whispering random comforting words in her ear. Soon she straightened up and walked to the door, her hands trembling as the pushed the doors opened. Sasuke followed close behind her, looking around.

He wasn't more shocked then he was on the outside, but this time he got flashes of his past. He had to look away from the blood splattered walls. It smelled horrible, and he wondered how she could come back every year. Mizuki pulled back the paper thin walls to reveal a room with so much blood Sasuke choked out a gasp. Blood was smeared on the walls, soaked into the floor, just everywhere. Mizuki turned away for a second before looking back again, wiping tears from her eyes. She looked up, and began to sob again. _What other horrible thing could be in this room?_ Sasuke thought, looking up. His eyes widened. _No way… Her brother would be so cruel and do that to her? _There were two ropes hanging eerily from the ceiling. It looked like it was taken off and put back on numerous times but Sasuke couldn't bring himself to ask her why.

"We can go now; I don't think I can stay in this place much longer." Mizuki choked out, turning away from the room and walking out.

Sasuke followed close beside her just in case she collapsed but it wasn't needed. She walked with her head high now, acting more like her old self. They exited the house and soon the whole Clan building, Sasuke having to close his eyes again. As they walked through the deserted streets, Sasuke got an idea.

"I want to show you something." He said stopping and looking over at her.

"What?" she asked, stopping as well.

"It's a special place I go to to calm down. You showed me something close to you so I feel that I should do the same." He replied, looking away so she wouldn't see his blush.

"Okay!" she said, a very tiny hint of excitement in her voice.

He took her hand and they chakra jumped into the woods, heading towards Sasuke's special place. He led her up a steep slope, weaving his way expertly past thick brambles and trees. Finally they jumped over a bramble thicket and entered a clearing like place. Mizuki's eyes widened in amazement as she looked around. She could see the whole village from here! It seemed like they were high above everything. She walked to the edge of the clearing, where a cliff was and looked across the land.

"It's amazing…" she whispered, staring at the Hokage mansion.

"Yeah…" Sasuke replied, looking at her.

"Oh yeah! Now would be the perfect time to tell you!"

"What?" Sasuke asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Here… We can sit down and I'll tell you." Mizuki replied, sitting down at the cliff's edge, her feet dangling over the edge. Sasuke joined her and placed his palm on his hand. He waited patiently for her to talk. "You know in the Chuunin Exams when Orochimaru attacked us and placed the curse mark on us?" she began, reaching up with both hands. She pulled down her shirt a little to show the mark that was on her collarbone and both sides of her neck.

Sasuke nodded and touched his own curse mark. "Yeah, why?"

"Well... Remember what he offered us? He wants us to go with him off somewhere. And, Sasuke, I was thinking of taking him up on his offer. I want you to come with me."

Sasuke's eyes widened. _She wanted to go to Orochimaru? _He didn't even think about it when he offered, that was impossible! And yet… As time progressed, he had thought about it. But he was never positive about going! He knew that he would like the power, but he didn't really want to betray his village.

"But that would mean betraying the village! How could you think of doing that?" he asked. He asked not because he would never do that, but she was more loyal out of the two of them. He could see himself doing more wrong then he could see in her.

Mizuki looked down at her hands, her eyes closing for a brief moment. "Yes it would but do I really have a choice? I don't feel like I'm getting strong enough. I'm not sure I want to do it though. Maybe Yoji-sensei could teach me, but is it enough? My brother must be really strong to be able to kill my whole entire clan and this tiny little training won't bring me up to his level fast enough. I know you understand me… So, Sasuke, just think about it."

Sasuke nodded. He could understand where she was coming from but he didn't want to leave the village. He didn't want to become a traitor. _Itachi… One day, I don't know when, but one day I will kill you._

"I have to go on a mission with Naruto and this weird guy named Jiraiya so I need to get home and rest. Thanks again, Sasuke." Mizuki said, reaching over and hugging him briefly.

"No problem." Sasuke replied, and then Mizuki was gone.

Mizuki reached her home and walked up to her room, collapsing on the bed. She would take a shower in the morning and then head to the village gates to start her annoying journey with Naruto. _Sasuke… I hope you change your mind about leaving the village… I really want you to go with me._

The next morning Mizuki took her shower, getting dressed in her ninja outfit. She placed her headband on her neck, stopping to look at it. She felt bad about thinking about leaving the village but it was the only way to get strong enough to beat her brother. She grabbed her pack and headed outside, walking slowly to the village gates. She saw Konoha in a whole new light. She saw the kids screaming and laughing, running around without a care in the world. She saw the happy mothers and fathers, she saw the villagers in shops, smiling and having a good time. Why couldn't she fit in like that? That was what she had always secretly desired. Why couldn't she be like them? Why did she have to focus only on killing her brother and not have a happy childhood?

Soon she reached the village gates, noticing Jiraiya leaning against a tree. He noticed her and pushed himself off, waiting for her to reach him. They stood there in silence, waiting for Naruto to show up. Right on time he ran up, a huge obnoxious smile on his face.

"Well, are you ready to go? I have to warn ya, there is some intense training ahead of ya!" he said, smirking, "I'll be teaching you guys a very powerful technique so be ready!"

Mizuki's eyes widened. _Training? Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all… _She followed them out of the village, her head in the clouds. Maybe Tsunade would be willing to train her? Then she would stay in the village if she said yes. But if she said no… Then she would go off to the other Legendary Sanin.

"Okay, let's stop here for today and start your training." Jiraya said, stopping and smirking down at us.

_I wonder what 'awesome' training session he has for us…_


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Mizuki's Revenge!**

"C'mon, Naruto," I said as we walked back from the training grounds, "we should get to the hotel. Pervy Sage probably won't be back for a while. You saw how he looked when that lady started talking to him."

Naruto nodded and we walked up to our hotel complex, signing in and getting our key. A few days after we left I wanted to go home. This 'special training' Jiraiya-sensei was talking about was stupid. It was just about moving balloons and rubber balls around and popping them. I mastered them quite quickly but had to bandage my hands. Naruto, on the other hand, was taking much longer. Since I finished all three tasks, I have to do them over and over until I master it the first try. I followed behind him, my hands aching. We finally made it to our hotel room; Number 306. I stuck in the key, pushing the door opened when the light flashed green. I closed it and locked it behind Naruto and sighed, walking over to my bed. I then turned and headed to the bathroom.

"Kay, Naruto. I'm going to take a shower." I said shortly, going into the bathroom when he nodded and plopped down tiredly on his bed.

I closed and locked the door behind me, peeling off my sweaty clothes and turning the water to hot. I stepped in, letting the hot water relax my tired muscles. I leaned my head against the wall, closing my eyes as the water beat down on my back. I washed my hair slowly, throwing my head back to let the water rinse it out easier. I then washed my body, rinsing off and turning off the water. Reluctantly, I stepped out and dried off, sighing when I noticed I left my clothes on my bed. I wrapped my towel around my semi-damp body and walked out, going to my back pack. I got my needed clothes and jumped when I heard a bang from behind me.

Reacting quickly, I spun on my heels and crouched defensively, making sure my towel covered me all the way down to a little below my knees. I looked up to see Naruto on the floor, blood oozing from his nose. My eyes widened and a blush itched its way to my cheeks. I turned and dashed back into the bathroom, closing the door and locking it. I dressed, washed my face and brushed my teeth, going back out to see Naruto hadn't recovered. I walked over to him and poked him in the head with my foot. I repeatedly poked his head until he shook it and snapped out of his trance. He blushed when he saw me.

"Hehehehe, sorry about that, Mizuki." he said, jumping up and climbing into bed.

I nodded silently and walked back to mine, peeling back the covers and climbing in, falling asleep almost instantly. The next day, I woke up to someone knocking. I sighed and got up, noticing Naruto get up and look through the peephole.

"Hey, Mizuki! There's a guy that looks like you and a guy who looks like Sasuke out there!" he said, moving his hand to unlock the door.

My eyes widened and I ran over to him.

"Naruto! No! Don't open the door!"

I was too late.

The door was forcefully pushed open, knocking Naruto over onto his bottom. I looked up and glared harshly.

"Brother!" I spat with as much hatred as I could muster (which was a lot).

He smirked and leaned against the doorframe coolly, sweeping his black hair away from his face.

"Little sister."

Naruto then got up, looking from me (in a defensive position, my fists raised and my blue eyes cold), to Ryou (his calm and collected state, smirking evilly at me) and then back to me again.

"EHHHH?" he screeched, "YOUR RELATED TO THIS GUY?"

I nodded slightly and growled.

"I wouldn't call him that, though. He killed our family, and I expect to make him pay."

I then noticed Itachi beside him, his Sharingan eyes piercing into mine. I quickly looked away before he used his genjutsu on me.

I growled low, keeping my blue eyes on Ryou's cold ones.

"Ryou!" I screamed, running at him.

He smirked at me as I threw a punch and blocked it, sending a kick at my legs. I leapt over them and he grabbed one if my legs as I aimed a kick in the air. I rebounded by using my other to kick him in the shoulder.

He let go of me so he could grab his shoulder, glaring at me with his brown eyes. He activated his Molani and I activated mine, blocking his kunai easily as he threw it. I took out two of my own, throwing inexpertly at his stomach as I jumped in the air, making hand signs.

"Water Style: Water Balls Jutsu!" I screamed.

Water balls about the size of three basketballs combined formed and went at Ryou. He easily weaved around them, smirking wider at me.

"Oh come on, Mizuki. You're going to have more power than that to avenge our weak Clan's death! Or do you just not care that I brutally slaughtered them? Guess not." Ryou said, chuckling darkly.

I growled and purple rings went around my pupils, symbolizing that I had activated my Kunioki state. I sent a water whip at him. He growled when he saw it. _Why? Shouldn't he have it too?_ I thought.

I brushed it off as I ran at him, sending waves of fire, and water. He jumped around to dodge it, easily making hand signs.

"Earth Style: Earth Barrier Jutsu!" he yelled, a barrier of earth around him.

He kicked at it, sending bricks if the earth barrier at me at lightning speed. I was able to dodge them, but I didn't see one had sneaked up behind me, hitting me in the back and knocking me forward. I gasped slightly as he grabbed me by the neck, slamming me into the wall.

"Mizuki!" Naruto exclaimed as he started to run over, a kunai in his hand.

"No!" I gasped out, turning slightly towards him, "Ryou is mine!"

I brought my knee up and met it with his crotch, punching him in the face as he hunched over. He grabbed my ankle and smirked again, pushing it back. I screamed in pain as it snapped, falling to my knees.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I thought you would've gotten stronger, little sister."

I heard Naruto gasp in the background and begin to run again.

"Stay back, Naruto! I already told you this is my fight!"

I made a ball of air between us so I could be pushed backwards, out of his grip. My useless leg was limp as I made hand signs. Ryou's eyes widened as I spoke.

"Darkness Style: Soul Consuming Jutsu!"

I put half of my chakra into the Jutsu, making Ryou fall to his knees trembling. The Jutsu began to slowly eat his soul, taking away my chakra in the process. I released it and fell to my knees, gasping. I then forced myself to get up since Ryou did the same.

"How. Are. You. Still. Standing!" I breathed out, glaring at him.

He just smirked and ran at me. My eyes widened and I couldn't move fast enough. He grabbed my neck and jumped backwards, so he was beside Itachi.

"I want you to put her in a genjutsu, like what you did when we possessed that boy with the dog." he said, holding me in front of Itachi.

_Kiba_, I thought, _he didn't do it on purpose... He WAS possessed_. _That explains the weird stuff Sasuke told me came out of him!_

"No! Mizuki!" Naruto screamed.

_**Let me help, child**_. Chieko said in my head.

_You finally talked to me…_ I closed my eyes and agreed, letting Chieko's purple chakra surround me. My hair shortened and turned white, my eyes turning red when I opened them. I let Chieko halfway take over, still having control over her bloodlust, which she hated.

**Chieko's P.O.V.**

"Hahaha I see you're trying to hurt my host! That won't work now! I'm immune to your little Jutsu, Itachi so don't try it again! Now it's time for fun!" I said, laughing wildly in my high pitched voice.

Itachi and Ryou's eyes widened as I grabbed both if their arms, pulling it easily out if their sockets. They poofed away. All that was left was logs.

_Substitution Jutsu..._ I heard Mizuki think to me.

**No duh!** I replied.

I ran towards Itachi, pulling my leg back as a leapt in the air. I spun and kicked him in his head, grabbing his foot as it went backwards, swinging it towards the wall. He slammed into it but still rose again, jumping away. I then turned to Ryou, who was gritting his teeth for some unknown reason. He ran at me, making hand signs lightning fast.

"Water Style: Water Cannon Jutsu!" he yelled, bringing his hands together to form an o and pushing them forward.

Water formed out of thin air and came out rapidly from his formed hands. I gasped and turned to jump away, only to he kicked backwards by one of his clones. I rammed into the wall, sliding down it. To make it worse, Ryou's attack hit, making me cough out blood from the pressure. Ryou smirked and made his way over to me, grabbing me by the neck and lifting me high off the ground. I struggled in his hold, sinking my nails into his fist.

He just ignored the blood flowing freely from his hand, tightening his hold on me. He punched my stomach hard, making me cough out blood again and slightly fall limp. Just when I was about to pass out, the old guy with long white hair and black eyes did some weird Jutsu.

Now, we we're in some weird stomach-like thing. Jiraiya kicked Ryou away from me as I seemed to sink into the folds of the stomach-like walls. I sighed and got out of it, sitting down, and watching as a boy with raven black hair appeared and started fighting Itachi.

_**Hey, that's Sasuke Uchiha, right?**_ I questioned towards Mizuki.

_Yeah... He wants revenge on Itachi too, he killed his Clan.  
><em>  
><em><strong>Oh, so he's like you except for no cute demon?<strong>_ I said, mentally smiling at the last part.

_Right. But I wouldn't exactly call you cute… More like just plain blood thirsty. He has the Sharingan, as you know. I think that it's better than the Molani… We should probably go back to them... WAIT! Change back with me_! Mizuki added, mentally growling.

I giggled and sighed. _**Ner! I like being out! It's refreshing!**_

_C'mon, please! I promise if we fight again and I and out of chakra (and that means my curse seal chakra, too) then I'll let you out so you can have 'fun'.  
><em>  
>I smiled mentally and agreed. <em><strong>Don't try not to waste chakra! That won't be fair!<br>**_  
><em>Okay, whatever<em>! Mizuki replied.

I closed my eyes sighed as I began to lose control again.

**Mizuki's P.O.V.**

I stood up when I regained control and walked through the stomach thingy, gasping at what I saw. Sasuke was in the folds of a part of the stomach, Itachi strangling him. His eyes were glazed over and filled with pain.

I knew immediately that Itachi put him in a genjutsu. I looked up and prepared to go back and fight Ryou. I ran at the two of them and sent waves of fire and wind attacks, trying to get their guard down as my clones went behind them. They did the jutsu I did in the Chuunin exams, but it wasn't as effective. Obviously, they were skilled, and they made the substitution jutsu to save them. Itachi appeared in front of me suddenly, grabbing my throbbing ankle and lifting me off the ground.

Gasping out, in pain, I was swung around like a rag doll and then slammed onto the stomach thing. The worst mistake of my life was to look up and see those red eyes. Luckily, Jiraiya saved me by sucking me into the weird fleshy stuff and let me out a ways away. I growled and got to one foot and my eyes widened as I saw Itachi and Ryou start to retreat.

"Get back here!" I screamed, "FIGHT ME LIKE THE MAN YOU WILLNEVER BE!"

It was too late though. When I turned the corner with Jiraiya and Naruto, black flames had busted a hole in the stomach, letting them escape. I growled and put back up my emotionless mask, going back to Sasuke. I took him out if the wall and laid him down on the floor, hugging him when he began to tremble. I knew what he was going through right now, and it sucks to know that I can't do anything to stop it. I growled again and hugged him tighter. I looked up when Naruto and Jiraiya walked over to me, sighing.  
>I nodded to them in greeting and looked back down at Sasuke.<p>

I was just about to ask Jiraiya what were the black flames but two things happened at once. A green flash came out of nowhere and punched Jiraiya in the face, sending him flying. And the other thing was that a cold chill came over me, me eyes widening as is felt like something was sawing through my head to get to my brain. My vision began to get fuzzy and I felt light headed.

"Mizuki!"

"Dynamic entry!"


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21: Mizuki's Childhood

"_Mizuki, Mizuki! Wake up!" Mizuki's mother yelled from downstairs, the smell of eggs, bacon and pancakes greeting the young girl when she woke up._

_Mizuki rubbed her eyes as she sat up in bed, her short black hair a mess around her face. Tired blue eyes looked around her neat room for her brother. When she didn't see him she smiled and stood up, brushing her hair, teeth and washing her face. She walked out of her bathroom only to get picked up in the air and tickled by her brother. She giggled and then burst out laughing._

"_Onii-san! Stop!" she said in between her laughter._

_Her brothers deep chuckles stopped and he carried her bridal style down the stairs._

"_As you wish, my princess." He said, smiling warmly._

_Mizuki giggled and wrapped her tiny arms around him the best she could. He set her down in her seat and then took his own, their father coming into view. Mizuki jumped up and ran to him, launching herself in the air. Her father easily grabbed her under her arms, spinning her around happily._

"_Ohayo, Mizuki!" he said, smiling._

"_Ohayo gozaimasu!" Mizuki exclaimed, kissing her father's cheek._

_Mizuki was put down and she ran into the kitchen, where her mother was. Her mother turned and smiled at Mizuki as she ran up to her and looked up at her. Mizuki's mother in her eye was the most beautiful woman she had ever met. Black hair, blue eyes, Mizuki was almost the splitting image of her. Just like Ryou was a splitting image of her father._

"_Mizuki, dear, could you please help me set the table?" she asked, holding out a plate of steaming food to her._

"_Hai!" she replied, carefully taking the plate and walking to the table. _

_She put the food down and ran back over to her mother, getting the last one. Her mother followed behind her with the other two plates. Mizuki got into her chair and smiled at her family. She was known to be the most cheerful of her family, despite the circumstances. She didn't know why most people outside of her clan hated her, and she definitely didn't understand why people in her Clan hated her but she didn't want to let it bother her. She put on a wide smile for everyone._

"_Itidakimasu!" they all said in unison before beginning to eat._

_After breakfast Mizuki ran upstairs, dressing in a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. She hummed happily to herself, pulling on her shoes. She ran down the stairs and out the door._

"_Goodbye, Mizuki!" her mother called from the kitchen, "Be back before dinner!"_

"_Okay!" Mizuki yelled back, running through her Clan streets._

_Everything was alive. People were shopping, eating, and just having fun. That made Mizuki smile. She made it to her clan gates and smiled at the guards. They were some of the people who actually loved her and didn't hate her for reasons that she didn't know or understand._

"_Hello there, Mizuki! Where are you going today?" Botan asked, smiling down at Mizuki._

"_I'm going to see my friend Hinata-chan!" Mizuki exclaimed, hugging both guards._

"_Well, you better be back before dark! It's not safe to be in the dark at this age." Kannon said, messing up her hair._

_Mizuki laughed. "Okay! My mom wants me back for dinner, anyways." Mizuki said, giggling and trying to get out of Kannon's grasp._

_Kannon let go and they opened the gates for her, waving as she ran off. Mizuki smiled happily as she ran through the streets of Konoha. Some people glared at her but she just ignored it, continuing on her way to the park. When she finally saw the park she noticed a group of kids around a girl. Mizuki silently walked up but her eyes widened when she saw who it was._

"_You shouldn't be friends with that girl Mizuki! She's disgusting!" a boy said._

"_Yeah! She's an idiot who should go die in a hole." Another boy said, laughing._

_One of the girls that were there kicked Hinata in the stomach. Mizuki let out a wail and ran up, pushing the girl away._

"_Stop! Don't hurt her!" Mizuki exclaimed, crouching beside Hinata and glaring up at the group of children._

"_Shut up you worthless piece of crap!" a boy yelled, pushing Mizuki to the ground._

_Mizuki closed her eyes as she slid across the ground a little bit. Her arm was scraped up but she got back up, jumping in front of her friend and holding her little arms out. Her eyes were fixed on the leader and she frowned. She didn't want her friend to be mistreated. Mizuki was pushed the ground again, everyone now ganging up on her. She felt punches and kicks from all angles, but then she was kicked in the stomach her eyes widened and she coughed up blood. Her eyes closed._

_So then, without Mizuki noticing it, her eyes turned red and she looked down at the ground, a smile growing on her lips. She stood up and stumbled a bit. She walked forward slowly, grabbing a small hand when it aimed a punch at her. She threw her head and laughed a blood curling demonic laugh, her red eyes staring straight into the trembling boy before her._

"_You're going to pay for hurting me and my friend."_

* * *

><p>"<em>Mizuki-chan, please be on your best behavior. We really need a good alliance with this Clan, so it would very nice if you helped us by showing them how nicely the people in our Clan act." Mizuki's father said, smiling down at her.<em>

_Now, Mizuki was sitting in the traditional Seiza position, her hands folded neatly onto her lap. She was in the middle of her father and her brother, a smile on her face as well._

"_Hai, father! I will do my best! Did you say that there is a kid my age here?" she asked excitedly._

_Mizuki's father's eyes crinkled as he chuckled in his deep voice. He leaned over to pat her head._

"_Yes, a young boy named Sasuke. He is also talented, like his brother."_

_Mizuki's eyes widened. She had heard about the legendary Itachi Uchiha, the 13-year old that had accomplished so much. It was hard to believe that he would be able to accomplish something like that, but that's what you would expect from the Uchiha Clan, the second best clan in the Fire Country and probably other countries too. Suddenly, the door that they were seated in front of opened to reveal a very strong looking man with onyx hair and eyes, a common trait in the Uchiha Clan. Unlike the Uchiha Clan, though, the Gesshu Clan had many different hair and eye colors. Mizuki guessed that was because they controlled all different elements, sometimes even electricity, but that wasn't common. _

_Mizuki was also able to see two boys behind their father. One, who she recognized as Itachi Uchiha, was the same age as her brother, and just as strong. She didn't know if they were friends or rivals, but it was impossible to tell anyway. Right now her brother put on his mask that showed cool indifference to everything. She hated when he got like that. She loved when he showed warmth and kindness and tickled her all the time. He was her bestest friend in the world, no doubt about it. Hinata-chan somehow couldn't even compete._

"_Hello, I see that you have made it. I am Fugaku Uchiha, to those that do not know." He said, his gaze mainly on Mizuki._

_Mizuki slightly shrunk away but kept her posture and her face calm. She would be the perfect person for her father. She dipped her head in acknowledgment. She knew better that to talk, though. She would talk when she was asked something._

"_Now, you may come in. you can meet my two sons." Uchiha-san said, moving backwards so that they could come through the door._

_Mizuki smiled at Itachi and Sasuke, sitting beside her brother only now, right in front of Sasuke. He smiled shyly back at her, his eyes warm and inviting. She just might make a new friend if Uchiha-san didn't remember that she was the Cursed Child, or so she was called by others._

"_This is my eldest son Itachi Uchiha, the Anbu captain, and my youngest son Sasuke Uchiha." He said, nodding at them._

_Mizuki could see sadness in Sasuke's eyes and she wondered why. __**Was something wrong with what he said? **__She wondered, looking over at Itachi. His eyes were blank of emotion and he looked over at her, nodding. A chill went down her spine. Something about him she didn't like, but she knew she was just being stupid. He was probably a really nice person and she was no one to judge. Itachi looked up at Ryou and a look passed between both of them._

"_Yes, I see." Mizuki's father said, looking over at Ryou and then Mizuki, "This is my eldest child Ryou Gesshu, an Anbu commander and my youngest child, Mizuki Gesshu. She is very skilled in Taijutsu and Ninjutsu."_

_Mizuki could feel herself sit up straighter, her eyes sparkling with pride. She smiled at them all, glancing at her father and catching his eye. He winked at her and looked away._

"_I see. Very interesting. May I have a demonstration?" Uchiha-san said, looking straight at Mizuki._

_Once again she was about to flinch away. No one could blame her, though. He was very coldish to her. She guessed that he knew about her name and that he also didn't like her. Mizuki's father nodded and turned to Mizuki smiling encouraging at her. Mizuki took in a deep breath and stood up._

"_Am I just showing moves or am I doing something special?" she asked, her voice quiet but strong enough to show that she was worth being her father's daughter._

"_Just things that you have learned. Fire, Water, Earth, Air, whatever it is. Maybe fire more than others so you might be able to show Sasuke how someone your age is supposed to be."_

_Mizuki glanced over at Sasuke to see that he was looking down at his hands. She immediately felt sad for him. She nodded and turned, opening the door and walking outside. Everyone followed her and she could feel her heart beat quicken. She didn't want to mess up and shame her father, but she also didn't have much faith in her work. She just decided to do her best... Well that's all she could do._

_She kept her back to them and closed her eyes, slowing her breathing. __**It's okay, just think that you're in the forest training where no one can see you... **__she thought. Mizuki brought her arms up and, with the sun beating down on her back, began her Jutsu. Mizuki turned around and quickly made hand signs, doing a fire Jutsu just like he had asked._

"_Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!" she yelled, hearing a small gasp._

_She put her finger to her lips and blew out, a huge ball of fire forming in front of her and heading at the trees. She jumped in front of it and made more hand signs._

"_Water Style: Jewel Liquid Jutsu!"_

_Water formed from the air and shimmered as it smashed into the fire ball, putting out the fire so only stream remained. She could use that to her advantage and she knew it._

"_Air Style: Air Tornado!"_

_The steam began to swirl around her faster and faster until a tornado had formed around her, hiding her from view. She made more hand signs, knowing that this was the only other Jutsu she knew and that she had trouble doing it. She began to float up in the middle of the tornado and closed her eyes, praying that this would work. Without her knowing, her eyes turned purple and she did her Jutsu._

"_Earth Style: Diamond Dragons Jutsu!"_

_The earth around everyone below her began to rumble, as if something was banging on it. Suddenly, the ground exploded. Four dragons came up from the ground, twirling around each other before forming a diamond. Mizuki took a breath and used her air tornado to propel her towards the dragons. She stood where two connected and held on tightly as they began to spin. This always made her sick but for some reason she didn't feel that way._

"_That's enough!" her father yelled up to her._

_She sighed in relief and dispersed the Jutsu, landing on the ground. She sat down on her knees and breathed hard, almost out of chakra. Her father patted her back and pulled her up, sending some of his chakra into her without anyone noticing. She looked up at him and smiled, catching her breath._

"_That was very good. Something I would expect of the Gesshu Clan. We can finish our meeting with her later. Your Mizuki might want to rest." He said._

_Just when he was about to turn he smiled and winked at her, catching her off guard. She didn't expect that but she smiled back shyly, hiding halfway behind her father's leg. That was nothing special. All kids of the Gesshu Clan had to know at least one Jutsu of each element. She felt wonderful, though. She felt like all that hard work she put in every day had paid off. She had impressed the head of the Uchiha Clan! How could she not be happy about that? Itachi walked over to her and kneeled down in front of her, smiling as well._

"_That was very impressive. Good job, Mizuki-chan." He said, giving her an eye closed smile and messing up her hair._

_She giggled. Maybe he really was nice, just like her brother. Just as she thought that she glanced over at Ryou, noticing that he had his arms folded and his head to the side. Itachi walked up to him and they both walked off. __**Maybe they are friends?**__ Mizuki thought. She ran over to Sasuke, stopping in front of him._

"_Hello!" she exclaimed._

_He jumped._

"_Oh, hey.' He whispered, blushing._

"_Do you want to be friends?" she asked, her blue eyes wide with excitement._

_He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and started walking._

"_Sure." He replied softly._

"_Okay! See ya Sasuke-kun!"_

_He turned and smiled before running to catch up with his father. Mizuki watched him, with a smile on her face. She wanted to become friends with Itachi and Sasuke. Maybe then she wouldn't feel as alone anymore._

* * *

><p>"<em>What's going on here?" Mizuki asked, sliding open the paper thin door.<em>

_She had been summoned to her father's office, something that didn't happen often. It was only when there was a mission for her to go on with a couple of other young kids or some type of special training that she had to go through. As she spoke, she saw her brother look over sharply, anger lines on his face. It made her recoil momentarily, but she thought that the anger wasn't for her so she tried to console him._

"_Onii-san, are you alright?" she asked quietly._

_Acting in a way unknown to her, he angrily stood up, knocking over his chair. Ignoring her concern, he stormed out of the room, leaving his father to stare after him. He looked a little off today, not as happy as he usually was. However, when he looked back down at Mizuki he smiled, dispersing her worries. There had to be something to explain this showing that they both weren't mad._

"_Ohayo, musume (daughter). Did you sleep well?"_

"_Hai, was there something that you wanted me to do?" Curiously, she walked in the room and lifted the previously knocked over chair, taking a seat in it. Her feet dangled a couple of inches above the floor, showing how short she was. Her father nodded and sighed, as if he had bad news._

"_Well, I have some unfortunate news. For the time being, you will not be able to see Hinata-chan. I have tried to discuss it with her father, but he means what he says and it is not my place to decide who can talk to his daughter. So I would like you to please stop speaking to her." He said, his eyes getting a sad look to them. He knew how much his daughter loved playing with Hinata, but it couldn't be helped. With what his son was telling him and everything, he was starting to believe something that he knew he shouldn't. He would never act on it, but the thought of him thinking such a thing made him feel guilty._

"_W-What? How could he do that? Me and Hintata-chan are best friends!" she exclaimed, tears gathering in her eyes. She felt like breaking down, wondering who she would talk to now. She only see Kannon and Botan so often and her parents were busy during the week with missions and running a Clan, so who was she supposed to hang out with and play with?_

"_Gomen, but I cannot do anything but comfort you. Here, come onto my lap." His voice was soothing, so she went over to him when he scooted back his chair and patted his lap._

_She curled up on him in a ball, letting the tears fall freely now. "Why would he do that? Hinata-chan… How can she be okay with this?"_

"_Who said she was? She's probably just as sad as you are."_

_Mizuki looked up at her father who then wiped tears from her eyes. "You've got to learn how to bite these things head on and not to show weakness. You need to understand that there will be times in your life when people do things to hurt you, like taking away privileges to talk to their daughter. All you need to do is show how honest and nice you really are and next thing you know you'll be friends with that person again. Got it?"_

_Mizuki took in her father's scent, feeling herself calm down. Her father always knew what to say to make things alright again. She didn't know where she would be without him, or her mother. They were honestly the best parents that she could ever have._

"_Now, do you want to go on a mission with me? It's short and should be fun!"_

_Mizuki nodded and smiled, wrapping her tiny arms around her father the best she could._

"_Hai! Arigato, Otou-san (thanks, father). I love you."_

_**I really, really, really love you…**_

* * *

><p><strong>Author-Chan<strong>_**: **_Question! Do you mind if all the rest of the chapters are in third person? In the process of making this, I was really sick and just went with 3rd person because it came easier to me. I can change it now, but if you wouldn't mind then I can keep it in 3rd person... Leave a review and tell me please!

On the other hand... I just had to have another chapter with this! :3 Sorry, I just love Mizuki's past. It just brings me to tears! *bawls* *turns into a chibi and then into a puddle of tears*

**Ryou: **As you can see, Aurthor-chan has been broken down into a mere puddle of tears. Please excuse us until the next chapter while I try to get her back to normal. Just as a reminder, she doesn't own anything in Naruto, only her OC's which is Mizuki and her family. Have fun while we sent Anbu to attack you and interrigate you for information we know you don't have. We do it just for fun.

**Mizuki:** How is that supposed to scare them? You said it so monotonously that they didn't even take you seriously!

**Ryou:** Shut up... It doesn't matter, you just took away anything that could have made them scared by interfering. How about you keep your trap shut and go train or something? You'll never defeat me at this rate. *Poofs away*

**Mizuki:** RYOU!


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: ****Sickness**

**Naruto's P.O.V (3rd person!)**

Naruto watched Mizuki as Pervy Sage carried her. She seemed like she was sleeping pretty peacefully, and a small barely noticeable smile was on her face. Naruto wonder why._ She's probably thinking of the time she had with her family_, he thought. What else would make her smile like that?

"Hey, old man. Why did we bring Mizuki with us and not take her back to the village like we did with Sasuke?" Naruto asked, turning around and walking backwards so he could look at them.

Jiraiya turned to Naruto, snapping out of his thoughts. "What?" he asked, stopping and walking over to a gambling place.

Naruto sighed and followed. Lips puckering angrily, he glared childishly."You know you heard me Pervy Sage. Do you just not want to tell me?"

Jiraiya looked at Naruto again. His eyes held some sort of emotion, but Naruto couldn't place it. But what he did know was the Pervy Sage was serious right now. "Naruto. I don't know what might happen in the future but I need you to promise me one thing. You. Have. To. Fight. For. Mizuki. Do you hear me? Do whatever it takes but fight for her."

Naruto's eyes widened and he just stared at Pervy Sage. _This came out of nowhere... What could he mean by that? There shouldn't be anything that I should have fight to help Mizuki... unless were on a mission. Gah! All of this thinking is making my head hurt!... But, I guess I will, no matter how weird Pervy Sage is._

"Okay. I understand." Naruto replied, his cheesy grin wiped off his face for once in his life.

Pervy Sage acted like nothing happed and walked up to the building, walking in. Naruto followed silently, looking around. _Why would he bring us in here?_ He wondered. Just then he saw a female with blonde hair and brown eyes, talking to a lady holding a pig. _Okay..._ Naruto thought, following Pervy Sage over to them.

"Tsunade, it's been a while." He said, stopping and smiling.

Naruto looked at the woman named Tsunade. She didn't seem all that powerful to him. Naruto sat down beside an unconscious Mizuki and he sighed. When was she going to wake up? It was annoying being around this perv. Mizuki usually made it bearable by joking on him. Just as if she had heard his thoughts, Mizuki shifted. And slowly her eyes opened, revealing very dark blue eyes. Darken then he had ever seen. It sent a chill down his spine.

"Mizuki! You're awa-" Naruto was cut off when Mizuki's head lazily turned to Tsunade.

"It's you." She said, her voice different from what it usually was.

It was slightly deeper, more like Sasuke's when he acted cool. Most of the girls fell for him when he talked that way, the creep. It was slightly higher at the same time, somehow. Naruto couldn't explain it, but her voice was deeper yet higher. Tsunade turned to look at Mizuki, her eyes widened.

"Mizuki? Or Chieko?" she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously when she added the last name.

"... Mizuki. But I'm not the little girl that you knew me as." Mizuki said, hesitating for a second.

"So I've heard. So, are you going to let all of what happened cloud your vision? Are you going to let that get in the way of your dream?"

Naruto watched stupidly, not really getting what they were talking about.

"Shut up... Just shut up! You don't know anything about me anymore. That isn't my dream anymore. I have a bigger dream that I will make a reality."

"That's not true, and you know it. You still want that dream. I know its deep down inside of you."

Mizuki stood up, wincing slightly because of her ankle. However, she kept up her cool attitude, her hand slamming down onto the table. Heads turned curiously to see what was going on but they all returned to their business quickly when a glare was sent at them from Tsunade and Mizuki.

"It's not my dream anymore. I don't care about beating you anymore." Mizuki whispered, her words coming out sharp and harsh.

Naruto's eyes widened. _Mizuki had wanted to beat Lady Tsunade? Isn't she like 40 years older or something?_

"Well then, how about you see if you can come close to beating me? Or even impress me, if you're lucky. I could use a good laugh." Lady Tsunade said, "And to make things more interesting, I'll throw in the necklace that your mother got from her grandfather. It was a gift for me but I'll give it to you if you're up to the challenge."

"Fine. I accept." Mizuki said, sliding out of her seat.

As soon as she tried to take a step, though, her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell to the ground. Naruto rushed over to her, just barely catching her before she hit the ground. Tsunade didn't move; she just watched Mizuki with a raised eyebrow. Finally, she walked over to her and rolled her over, placing her fingers on her temple and pushing Naruto out of the way.

"What are you doing to her?" Naruto asked, his voice edged with concern and confusion for Mizuki and anger to Tsunade.

"Calm down. I'm a medical ninja, I won't hurt her. I just have to see what's wrong with her." Tsunade said, waving Naruto off.

Naruto glared at her but said nothing as she examined Mizuki. He then noticed that they were getting a whole lot of attention. Everyone was watching them, or more like Mizuki and Tsunade. Naruto didn't care, though, because when Tsunade's face turned grave, he knew that something was wrong.

**Mizuki's P.O.V.**

Mizuki groaned and opened her eyes, noticing that she was lying in some sort of cold, thick liquid. She sat up quickly and looked around, noticing that it wasn't blood, or the weird substance she met in the Chuunin exams. It was something far worse than that.

_Tsrfe Tsvgdv IS Hände Zkvidu_

Mizuki knew this because it was an ancient language of the Gesshu Clan. She had to learn it for some weird reason. No one else her age did, though. But in an easier way to understand, Mizuki was sick. Not just the normal type of sick when you have a fever for a few days and then it goes away. No, it was the sickness that she was warned that she would get some day in her life because of her abilities. Everyone had gotten the sickness, but no one would tell her how it felt except for her grandfather. Sometimes her father put in a word or two, but not much about the last three stages.

And the thought of it made her shiver in fear.

The sickness had four stages, and as soon as you reached the fourth stage it could be fatal. But, it was most common to survive since the sickness broke merely hours after that. The first stage was 36 hours, the second stage was 24 hours, the third stage was 12 hours and the fourth stage was 6 hours.

The first stage is the easiest to pass through, Mizuki remembered. It was wind and earth. She remembered her grandfather saying that it felt like you were being hit with boulders over and over again, and being lashed at with wind. The second is fire and water, Mizuki thought. It was pretty much like an annoying prickling sensation that goes makes its way up your body. As soon as it reaches the roots of your hair, it turns hot. The spikes recede and are replaced by a feeling that makes it seem like you are in a freezer for 12 hours. To make it worst, it gets colder and colder the more time passes. The third stage might not even happen if Mizuki remembered correctly. It was lightning. Since this stage didn't happen to her grandfather, Mizuki knew nothing about it.

Mizuki felt something crawling up her arms. She tried to swat at it and move it away from her, but her arms wouldn't move. The same thing happened to her legs. Mizuki's eyes widened when in just seconds her whole body was covered with the liquid. She hated being restricted and unable to move, but she tried to keep her cool by closing her eyes. But then, she noticed something that filled her with dread.

The feeling of small boulders bouncing on and off of her skin.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

Naruto watched as Tsunade laid Mizuki on the bed, her hands working quickly to pull off her jacket. Just as she started on Mizuki's pants, hands covered his eyes.

"Shouldn't see that... should ya?" Jiraiya said, laughing when a blush quickly made its way to Naruto's cheeks.

"Whatever. You shouldn't be looking either, Pervy Sage. Anyways, why is that old hag doing that to Mizuki?" Naruto asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

Jiraiya removed his hands from Naruto's face and Naruto saw that Mizuki was under a thin sheet. Jiraiya turned to Naruto, his face pained for something that Naruto was clueless about.

"Maybe it would be best if we didn't tell him, Jiraiya." Tsunade said, sitting on the edge of the bed and looking down at Mizuki.

"He should be able to take it. Anyways, he should know. She's his teammate."

"But he wouldn't understand what it is, and we very well can't explain it to him due to the circumstances."

"Umm, guys," Naruto said, pouting and crossing his arms, "I'm still here ya know."

Tsunade and Jiraiya glanced his way before looking away.

"No. We definitely won't tell him." Jiraiya agreed.

"HEY! You have to tell me!" Naruto bellowed, "You can't just talk about it in front of me and not tell me what's wrong with her! I should be able to know!... She's my teammate... I deserve to know if she's going to be okay or not." Naruto softened his voice, letting his head drop.

He had to know that Mizuki would be okay. Even though she was cold to him often, he couldn't shake a feeling that he got when he was around her. He would be heartbroken if she died. Tsunade glanced at Jiraiya and he nodded. She growled, annoyed, and stood up, grabbing Naruto's shirt and dragging him out with her.

When they got out of the building they walked through the warm summer air, heading to the forest. Naruto raised an eyebrow. Where were they going? Finally they reached a place far from civilization. Tsunade did some hand signs and a small clear dome went around them. She sat on a log.

"I'll tell you what Mizuki's sickness is, but you won't like it. She might live... But, there is still a chance that she might die."


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Sasuke's Pain, Mizuki's Sickness, Naruto's Thoughts, and All of Their Feelings**

Warning: To me, this was kind of gruesome. Sorry if it creeps you out! You can skip it I guess, if you can't take it after reading a little bit of it. My sister wrote the gruesome part, btw. She's good at this stuff, not me.

**Sasuke's P.O.V.**

Sasuke felt his body convulse with pain. He felt his arms snap, his legs bend in a strange angle, and his head bend back eerily. He couldn't control his body, he couldn't control where his eyes were. Naruto lay a few feet from his neck snapped and his arms and legs gone. He was lying in a pool of thick, metallic smelling blood. It was like Sasuke could taste it. Sakura was just beside Naruto, her short bubblegum pink hair tainted with blood. Her head was disconnected and a few feet from her body. Her fingers were in the dirt, her nails clogged with dirt as it seemed she raked her nails in it. Sasuke felt tears prick in his eyes. They annoyed him, but he didn't want to see them dead. He tried to close his eyes to shield his fragile mind from the view but he couldn't.

_This is Itachi's genjutsu. It isn't real; don't let it faze you, Sasuke. It's just something to make you go crazy._

"Sasuke, help!" a familiar voice screamed.

_No. Oh god, please no. _Sasuke thought, trying not to let his eyes dart to his best friend.

Obviously, his eyes had other plans because they flickered over to Mizuki, her eyes widened and her mouth open in terror. Itachi loomed over her, a smirk on his face. Suddenly, his hand struck out, his chakra-coated fingers slicing easily through her body. Blood splattered all over Sasuke's face, making his mind go berserk. No matter how much he knew that this wasn't real, it didn't stop the pain it brought him. He couldn't even scream to let out his agony.

He felt dead. Mizuki meant so much to him, more than even he knew. Her personality made his whole day seem brighter, and just being in her presence lighted up his whole world. He didn't know where he would be without her. He couldn't see himself living away from her, and that's why he was willing to go to Orochimaru with her. But, something was holding him back.

Loyalty.

Mizuki let out a blood curling scream as Itachi's bloody fingers slipped out of her, only for a kunai to be thrusted into her heart. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she fell limp against Itachi. Somehow, the pain he was feeling was just as bad as when he saw his family killed before him. He felt sobs rip out of his body and he saw Mizuki's body crumple to the floor, her lifeless eyes staring straight at him. A silent scream erupted out of his lips as he relived her death again and again. And just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore, everything stopped. Sasuke sighed in relief.

Only for him to notice that he was now in his Clan, a young boy again and running through the streets of dead bodies.

**Mizuki's P.O.V.**

_This is so frustrating! _Mizuki thought, trying for the millionth time to move her body.

The feeling of boulders hitting her had moved up to her knees, and it felt like she was being attacked by something a little bigger than a baseball.

"Ugh!" she yelled out loud, her lips pursed as she bit her lip.

The only thing that she could move was her mouth and eyes, and she was very grateful for that, although she really, _really_ wanted to move her whole body. She sighed and glared at nothing in particular. This was going to be a long couple of days, if things kept on like this. Mizuki let her mind wander to things like revenge, going to Orochimaru with Sasuke, and Naruto, yes, Naruto.

She wasn't sure about what she felt towards him. She always felt that if she felt anything towards him that she would just push it away and replace it with cold indifference. Even though she had merged with the darker side of her, it didn't change how she reacted to him, and that annoyed her to no end. She felt tingles when he just lightly brushed against her, her heart fluttered when he looked at her with those intense sky blue eyes, and she felt like she would die if he got hurt.

But, on the other hand, there was Sasuke. Just as she thought of his mind, she got a flashback to him holding her close on the day of her Clan's death. She thought about how much he had done for her when they were together. He understood her and somehow made her feel like she could be herself. Her _real_ self. She felt the same feelings she got with Naruto with Sasuke, and that confused her.

_What was going on?_

Mizuki sighed. She couldn't really identify what was going on in her poor head, but what she did know is that she should push it aside and think about her goal, her dream.

Killing her brother.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

Naruto stared wide eyed at Tsunade, horrified.

"Mizuki has to go through all of _that_?" he exclaimed, frozen in his place.

Tsunade nodded gravely, sighing. "It will be very painful for her, and she might even die, but I think she can pull through. She's tough, from what I remember. It's unfortunate, though. We used to get along very well."

Naruto frowned. "How do you know Mizuki again?" he asked, laughing nervously and scratching the back of his head.

"WERE YOU LISTENING TO ME AT ALL? I know Mizuki because when she was younger I was good friends with her mother. She was a very ambitious girl. She would always say that she would beat me in a battle one day. And by the way she acted, I never doubted her."

Naruto nodded absently and sighed, looking down. Just thinking of the possibility of Mizuki dying dampened his whole day. Mizuki was somehow a sun to him, even though she was cold and seemed uncaring. He could see through that. He knew that he felt something towards Mizuki. Whenever she looked at him, he would feel a blush coming on. Whenever he accidentally brushed against her, he would shiver, just by the feeling of her skin against his. Was that wrong? Okay, he could admit it. There was no reason that he should deny it, anyway.

He liked Mizuki.

He would give up his life just for her to be happy. Although he could understand her, he knew that he couldn't truly understand. He didn't go through as much as she did, even though he was shunned as a child. Mizuki was shunned _and _her family died. Right in front of her face, he might add.

He wondered why both Sasuke and Mizuki's clans were wiped out. Maybe because of the fact that they were very powerful and held a threat to neighboring lands? No. That's probably not all of it since their own family wiped out their clan. There had to be something deeper, something under the surface that no one knew.

Ugh, this thinking was making his head hurt.

**Orochimaru's P.O.V. (le gasp!)**

"My Lord, do you actually think that Sasuke and Mizuki will come to us?" Kabuto asked, kneeling in front of Orochimaru.

Orochimaru smirked and let his tongue dart out of his mouth to moisten his lips. He leaned back in his chair and pondered on the question. He knew that they wanted revenge and that they would do anything to make that come true. But, the stupid fact of loyalty came into play.

"I believe that they will. In due time. But, maybe we should have a little... motivation." Orochimaru said, hissing out the last part with a husky evil chuckle.

Kabuto slightly shivered but did not react in any other way; he just pushed up his glasses. "What do you wish to do, Lord Orochimaru?" he finally asked, looking up.

"Hmm. I think I know exactly what to do for Sasuke, but Mizuki is a little trickier. Ahh. I think I have the perfect idea. What about the inhabitant of Room 156?" he questioned, his smirk growing wider when Kabuto's eyes widened.

"My Lord! You have to be joking! Do you know what would happen if we exposed her to that? What if it doesn't work and he is brought out of it by her words?"

"Are you questioning me, Kabuto?" Orochimaru asked, raising an eyebrow and his smirk turning into a frown. His eyes narrowed.

"N-No my Lord! I was just saying that maybe it isn't a good i...dea?"

Orochimaru shrugged, standing up and pushing his hair behind his face. He stepped down off of his spot in the middle of the room and headed through the corridors, Kabuto following him like a lost puppy. Finally, he reached Room 156, letting his long and slender fingers run themselves against the door. Immediately something slammed against the door, growling heard from inside. Kabuto jumped back.

"Nothing to be worried about, Kabuto-kun. When we are finished with him, he won't even be recognizable as scary. We'll have Mizuki-chan with us in no time if our cards are played right. Now, go and set up the Lab and after that... get the groups ready. Well be going to Tsunade in 5 days so everything must be up and running by the time we leave." Kabuto nodded and smirked slightly, turning and disappearing into the shadows.

Orochimaru turned his attention back to the room, slowly opening the door. A low growling sound was heard from the corner of the room, but the figure didn't even move, knowing its place. It couldn't move even if it wanted too, though. The chains on its body had tightened, constricting it to the wall. Orochimaru smirked at the thought. He walked into the room, looking straight into the glowing red orbs. He closed the door behind him, turning on the light.

He looked the figure over, his smirk coming onto his face again. Oh how he loved to see how people reacted when surprises were thrown their way. _Mizuki-chan won't even know what hit her. _By the end of next month, she will probably be in his grasp, ready to be molded into the best weapon he had ever had. And of course, if Mizuki was here, his future body would be here as well. Nothing could be more perfect. He walked over and squatted down until he was looking straight into the figure's eyes.

"Hello, Kannon-kun."


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Sakura's Discovery**

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

Naruto felt his heart clench with every flinch Mizuki made.

He hated seeing her like this, tied down to the bed, her eyes tightly closed, and her body trembling and jerking as spasms went through her body. He wanted so badly to just take her pain away, but all he could do was place his hand in her own and let her squeeze it to death. He could barely feel his hand now, but he didn't mind. The door suddenly opened and Naruto turned to the side, turning back to Mizuki when he realized that it was just Jiraiya.

"Maybe you should go train. You know what Tsunade betted you to. You have to finish that Rasengan in 5 days." He said, walking over to Naruto and placing his big, warm calloused hand on his shoulder.

Naruto sighed and nodded, standing up. He glanced reluctantly at Mizuki and started walking to the door. He stopped and turned back, walking over to her side and leaning down until he was level with her ear.

"It's okay, Mizuki. I know that you will survive. You're a natural survivor. You can get through anything." Naruto touched her cheek lightly and walked out the door, aware of Pervy Sage's gaze on him. Although his cheeks were pink, he didn't regret his decision. He shut the door behind him, leaving Jiraiya alone with Mizuki and his thoughts.

_He really likes her, maybe even loves her, doesn't he?_ Jiraiya thought, letting his gaze now flicker to Mizuki. _There must be some sort of invisible connection, considering the fact that all she is to him now is cold and indifferent. But now that I think about it, she has looked at him a certain way. It is with the same feeling? _Jiraiya sighed, a smirk forming on his lips. _Young love. So unsuspecting and pure._

* * *

><p>Naruto was by Mizuki's side again, the sun that was setting beautifully behind the horizon casting rays of light onto her pale face. Naruto was sprawled out in his chair, exhausted. He had found out that Tsunade was supposed to be the next Hokage, and she had beaten him in a fight, telling him that if he mastered the Rasengan then she would give him a necklace from the 1st Hokage. <em>Stupid old hag, taking my title away from me…<em>

"Welp, I'm beat. I should probably go to bed. Hmph. This is the end of the first day, eh?" Naruto spoke out loud, frowning when he saw several bruises on Mizuki's body.

Some were in the form of what seemed like circles, and others were beginning to look like a stretched out crescent moon. Naruto brought his hand up and lightly brushed his fingers over her skin, jumping slightly when she flinched in pain. Another bruise was starting to form on her legs, but Naruto couldn't really see it because of the sheet that covered her. He stared for a couple minutes, trying to keep back the thoughts a normal guy would have. But, his thoughts were much stronger than he thought.

_It would be easy to just pull the sheet back. Only to see the rest of the bruise, you know. It's not like I'm a Peeping Tom. All I could do is look at her leg and then put the sheet down. No one's here anyway, right?_

Naruto shook his head, clearing the thought from his head. That would be wrong, even if he did only want to see the bruise. Seeing the bruises only added to how much he wanted to protect Mizuki. He wanted to protect her from others... And herself.

_That's why you should look! You're only doing it to strengthen your willpower! Don't worry; no one will see you and Mizuki won't even notice. It's for the best..._

Naruto sighed and felt his want to resist dwindling. This _was_ to strengthen his willpower... and he wasn't going to look at anything bad... Naruto felt himself leaning in; his hands coming up to lightly grip the sheets, a blushing at the thought of what this would look like. He began to lift the sheet.

**Mizuki's P.O.V.**

Mizuki groaned, wanting the pain to cease. It seemed like the pain got more and more unbearable as time went by. She could feel her body tiring out; she didn't even have the will to open her eyes. She just felt like she was dying, but so slowly that it was killing her even more. Heh, if that even makes sense. Mizuki longed to be training again, growing powerful and then slaughtering her brother with one blow. She knew that she could... If she just survived this stupid sickness, that is.

Suddenly, she felt something warm on her leg. It was strangely comforting in this black abyss of pain and agony. She tried to figure out what it was, but she couldn't place her finger on it. It felt like a hand... Was someone touching her? Her breathing started to spike, her mind racing. What is she was still where she passed out, some random drunk touching her? Where was Tsunade, Pervy Sage, or even Naruto? They wouldn't leave her there, would they?

No.

_Slow down Mizuki, you're just over reacting_, she told herself, _they would never just leave you sitting on the ground, only if someone suddenly attacked - and I doubt that that would happen - due to the fact that when I was conscious we made sure that no one was following us. I bet that they would do the same all the way to where we found Tsunade._

_**Lady Tsunade...**_

Mizuki could remember things about her like she was just talking to her instead of it being years later. She remembered her coming and meeting her mother, teaching her how to fight for herself. Her mother didn't really like to fight, she was always against it. That's why she was reluctant to letting Mizuki join the Gesshu Academy. Mizuki sighed, flinching when she felt another boulder hit her. She bit her lip and let out a gasp when a sharp gust of wind slashed at her skin.

Goodness gracious, when was this ever going to end?

**Sakura's P.O.V.**

Sakura was in her room, sitting on the edge of her bed. Her large forehead was creased with worry— worry for Sasuke. She was just about to go visit him and give him fresh flowers but she wanted to clear her mind first. Visiting hours didn't start for another 15 minutes anyway. There were some things – well, more like people - she wanted to think about.

_Mizuki_ and Sasuke.

She wasn't sure if Mizuki was competition to her. Sasuke was always with her, but she had put it off as just a close friendship. She was sure that he wouldn't be in to a girl like _Mizuki_; he should be into someone like her. Why would anyone choose a depressed, revenge-driven girl instead of a bubbly, nice, _happy _person like her?

Exactly.

Since the same thing had happened to Mizuki and Sasuke, she didn't think that they were together because of love. Maybe it was just a stupid bond that tied them together because of their goals. She could remember them as if they just said them yesterday...

'**I will avenge my Clan's death and…kill somebody that deserves to be slaughtered in the sickest way possible…then, with nothing else to live for, I will **_**kill myself**_**'**

'**I will hunt down and kill a certain someone...'**

Sakura sighed, standing up and heading out of her room. She walked down her plush carpet steps calling out a goodbye as she headed out of the door and towards the hospital. Her hand automatically waved when someone waved towards her and a robotic, fake smile was plastered on her face. She might have looked happy to everyone around her but in truth she was devastated.

* * *

><p>"Hello again, Sakura-chan! Back again for another visit to Sasuke?" the receptionist asked, smiling at Sakura.<p>

She had come just about every day since he had been checked in; it seemed like everyone knew her now. The pink-haired kuniochi walked over to the tall desk the woman was sitting behind.

"Yep!" she exclaimed, her fake smile getting slapped back on to her face. "I'm planning on visiting Lee again as well."

The receptionist smiled, not noticing how unhappy Sakura was. "Well okay then! Just give us a buzz if you notice a change!"

Sakura nodded and began walking again; already have memorizing the two ninja's room numbers. She went to Lee's room first, placing fresh flowers in his flower vase. She looked down at him for a while, having a new respect for the boy since the Chuunin Exams when he had risked his life to save her and Mizuki. Her _and _Mizuki. Was it always that way? Would it always be that she would just be included along with Mizuki and never would she stand out on her own? She wanted something that she was better at than Mizuki, Naruto and Sasuke, so that they would need her help instead of her needing theirs.

"Get better soon, Lee." She whispered, turning around and making towards the door.

"S-Sakura-chan...?" a hoarse voice said.

Sakura whipped around, noticing Lee's eyes had opened. Her eyes widened. "Lee! You're awake!" she gasped out. He nodded and then coughed.

"Hey, Sakura-chan. Can I ask you something?" Lee spoke out, having to repeat himself because he said it so quietly.

Sakura moved closer to him, feeling her cheeks redden. _Is Lee about to ask me out again? Cha! I would of course say no - why would I ever say yes to him when Sasuke will eventually come to his senses and ask me out? But it will be an amazing ego booster!_

"Y-yes, Lee?"

"Where is... Mizuki-chan? I thought she would have visited me by now."

"I'm sorry Lee but- wait, what?" Sakura screeched, her voice raising an octave.

"Where is Mizuki-chan?" he repeated patiently.

Sakura glared at him, feeling very irritated. "She's not even in the village. She's out with Naruto and one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya-sama." Sakura said through her teeth, feeling jealousy bubble up inside of her.

"Oh, that's why. I'll wait for you, Mizuki-chan! Oh so strong and beautiful!" Lee exclaimed, his eyes still managing to sparkle.

"I have to go Lee. Goodbye."

Sakura spun on her heel and marched out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She could feel Lee jump, snapping out of his trance.

_Mizuki, Mizuki, __**Mizuki**__! Doesn't anyone ever notice me? Don't they see that Mizuki always ends up passed out or half dead when I'm completely unharmed? That means I must be smarter! And better!_

Sakura went to Sasuke's room next, knowing that she would stay there until visiting hours were over. Her tense muscles relaxed when she entered and smelt his intoxicating scent. She went and sat down on the chair by his side, staring down at him and smiling.

"Hello again, Sasuke-kun! It's your most sharp-eyed kuniochi here!" Sakura said, giggling at the thought. Then, her smile faded. _Oh wait. He said that was __**Mizuki.**_Sakura sat there, just chatting away although he probably couldn't hear her. "Oh and I got you your favorite flowers, d- what?" Sakura was once again cut off by something.

Sasuke's mouth was moving, saying something repeatedly. It was just one word. _Is he calling out to me? Can he actually hear me? Oh my gosh this is so embarrassing! What if he wants to tell me he was all wrong about Mizuki and he thinks I'm better? EEK!_

Sakura leaned close, her cheeks warming once again but now they were warm because she could just be about to hear her one true love calling out to her to declare his love. She had never been this close to Sasuke before, so that was another plus.

"M...M..." _My heart yearns for you? _"M...Mi..." _Missing your touch? _"Mizu...Mizuki..." _...Mizuki? So she __**is**__ competition..._

Sakura felt defeated. "So, it's official then. Everyone wants Mizuki. Even Sasuke. I see."

"Sakura-chan! Visiting hours are up!" a voice called.

Sakura turned around, wiping her eyes.

"What's wrong dear?" the nurse asked, balancing a clipboard on her hip as she stood at the entrance of the doorway.

Sakura let out a small sob before standing up, the chair making a loud screech. She broke off in a run, pausing only when she got to the receptionists desk.

"Lee woke up." Was all she muttered before she ran again, almost knocking over TenTen.

She darted out of the Hospital, trying to get back to her house as fast as possible. She ignored her mother when she barged in and slammed the door, running up her stairs and into her room. She jumped on her bed, bouncing a little when she landed. She lay there for a long time, just crying her eyes out. Soon her mother came up the stairs, gently knocking on the door.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice laced with sincerity and concern.

"Nothing mom, go away." Sakura snapped icily, her voice coming out much harsher than she wanted it to.

"Sakura! You should know better than to talk to your mother like that!"

"Sorry mom..." Sakura mumbled, just wanting to be alone so that she could wallow in self-pity.

"Now how about you tell me what's wrong? Did Ino tease you about how big your forehead is again?"

"No Mom!" Sakura screeched, sitting up quickly from her bed. "Why don't you just go away? I don't want to talk to you right now and I really just want to be ALONE!"

Sakura heard her mother gasp and turn away from the door, leaving without another word. _Good. _She thought, although she felt guilty. She collapsed face forward back onto the pillow, letting out a quiet groan. _One day, Mizuki, one day. You will be the one in the shadows while I stand out... _

"MIZUKI-CHAN! WHERE EVER YOU ARE JUST KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU!" a voice yelled.

_Speak of the devil... _Birds squawked and took flight, startled from the booming voice.

"SUCH YOUTH! EVERYONE SHOULD FOLLOW IN HIS FOOTSTEEPS! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" another familiar voice yelled.

Sakura groaned, knowing who it was. _Lee and Gai-sensei of course. They're so loud that I can hear them even though they're probably still in the Hospital... Even from my house I can't shake off Mizuki's presence._

_Why does it feel like I'm fighting a useless battle?_

* * *

><p><strong>Author-chan:<strong> That Naruto thing was quite strange, wasn't it? It's just that this story is getting quite boring in my opinion so... Bleh! I though would spice it up a little... I epically failed, didn't I? We'll no matter... She's waking up NEXT CHAPTA!


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Awakening**

"_**What**_** the heck were you thinking? Do you know what that's called? Do you know what would happen if she was awake and she found you doing that?**" Tsunade's loud voice boomed, covering Pervy Sage's continual laughter.

"Taking a page out of my book, eh?" was all he was able to say before he collapsed in another fit of laughter.

Naruto was blushing madly, trying not to move. He would star as still as possible if it meant that the old hag wouldn't hit him anymore. It hurt like _crap_! There was a faint distinction of steam from the crater that he had been laying in for the past hour, a fuming soon-to-be Hokage ranting above him about the meaning of privacy and 'You should be ashamed of yourself' and 'You should have known better, how could you!' Naruto grumbled incoherent words, deciding now was a good time as any to sit up.

He looked over at Mizuki's sleeping figure, sighing in relief. He didn't know what he would do with himself if she woke up with Lady Tsunade rambling on and on about discipline and self-restraint. Naruto ran a hand through his hair, feeling like since Mizuki had fallen ill, he's been acting differently. Naruto looked at the old hag – screaming about the fact that he was a stupid pervert and turning into a smaller form of Pervy Sage – and then Pervy Sage – patting him on the back and laughing like a hyena – to find himself feeling alone, no matter how surrounded he really was.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Naruto exclaimed after a while of this, throwing his hands in the air in defeat. "I wasn't trying to see anything other than the bruise on her leg and you should believe me! I know what she would do to me if she figured out," Naruto paused to shudder, "so I don't need a lecture from you! Anyways, I'm going to train. It's already beginning the third day so I don't have much time left."

Tsunade stopped yelling and stared at him for a moment before nodding, waving him off with an angry flick of her wrist. Naruto quickly jumped up, running out of the door. He let out a sigh in relief, only for a lamp to come into contact with his head.

"And don't ever do that again!"

**{The next day}**

**Orochimaru's P.O.V.**

Drip, drip, drip, drip.

Water leaked from the ceiling, making uneven pattering sounds on the floor as is splattered. Orochimaru was leaning against the wall, his shake-like yellow eyes staring straight at the figure lying down on the operating bed. His pale skin contrasted harshly with the dark wall, so it was easy to see when his fists tightened and his lips covered his white teeth in a scowl. He swept his long black hair behind him and pushed off the wall, walking over to what seemed like a corpse of his plan.

"Will he live, Kabuto? I want a straight answer." Orochimaru's sharp voice said oh so quietly.

It was almost as if he didn't say anything at all.

Kabuto looked up from his vigorous work, wiping away beats of sweat that had gathered on his brow. He had been working nonstop trying to bring this beast of a man back to its normal form and it hadn't gone as smoothly and quickly as they had planned. Kabuto took a deep breath and furrowed his eyebrows, his mind working as fast as humanly possible.

"I would say that there's a 50-50 shot, but the favors are leading in success. His vital signs are leveling and its body is working well with the new skin I've added. If we just had more time I cou-" Kabuto was cut off by Orochimaru's hissing.

"We have no more _time_, Kabuto. As soon as we get my hands healed were going straight into action. You already know that so don't ask." Eyes narrowing dangerously, Orochimaru growled out his words, each one laced with venom.

"Y-yes, my Lord." Kabuto replied, shivering in fear.

That, of course, brought a sick smirk to Orochimaru's pale lips. "Good." He spoke again, his eyes now trailing on the body below him once again. Instead of looking like the rabid animal it had looked like before surgery, it actually looked the way it was supposed to. Orochimaru chuckled, making Kabuto look up again.

"M-my Lord?" he questioned, fearing for his safety.

**Mizuki's P.O.V.**

Mizuki shivered, her lips a light blue. Her fingers and toes were numb, yet she could feel tingles lingering there from the fire. Her eyes were long closed; she couldn't maintain the strength so that she could keep them open. Though she was happy that this was the last half hour or so of the third stage, she didn't know why it was taking this long. Surely she had been here for over a week?

She knew that was wrong. There was no way that she would be there longer than expected. Coughing slightly, Mizuki felt her toes begin to tingle faster. Gasping out in shock, she squeezed her eye lids shut, feeling it pass through her whole body in a millisecond. Her fingers began to lose that cold, numb feeling, and best of all, she was regaining control. Wiggling her fingers, she laughed in happiness. Now caring that the fourth stage hadn't happened yet, she smiled. It was going to be over soon.

Mizuki, soon enough, could control her whole body. Breaking her restraints easily, she stood up, stretching. Then, all of a sudden, it hit her. She was up and ready to go, but she wasn't opening her eyes? Strange. Feeling slightly unnerved, Mizuki walked forward, not expecting the ground underneath her feet to fall apart, leaving her with nothing to stand on. Air whooshed upwards, making her hair sly up off her shoulders as she fell downwards. As her eyes widened, she reached out with her hands, trying to see if she could find some type of sturdy solid thing she could grasp on to. Finding nothing, however, she was forced to just fall, not knowing if she would hit a concrete floor or just wake up as everything being a dream.

As time drew on, though, Mizuki began to lose hope. It seemed like the space between her and whatever was at the bottom would never end, and it was practically killing her. Just as she thought that, she heard a low growl. _What the heck?_ She thought. She flipped over so it was like she was diving downwards, squinting into the blackness. She wanted to see whatever was sown there ready to attack.

Just as she prepared to see if she was able to make hand seals, a burst of really bright light shined from below. Mizuki squinted, blinded by the sudden light. Closing her eyes, she brought her hands together over her face. But that's when everything changed for the worst.

**Naruto's P.O.V.**

Naruto sighed and looked up at the sun, his hands behind his head. His half-lidded eyes and his tired body were ready to go home and sleep, but he hadn't completely perfected the Rasengan yet. As he waited for inspiration to hit him, he saw a large group of people – about the size of how many people should be in the village – walking. Cocking his head to the side, he wondered what was going on. Only then did he realize that there was a party thing or whatever that was traditional. Rolling his eyes, he stood up, knowing that he wouldn't be able to train when everyone was loud and whatever.

He walked back to the hotel, finding it strange that it would be completely deserted except for him and Mizuki. As he reached the hotel and walked in Naruto's eyes widened in shock, noticing screaming from downstairs. The hotel was deserted, but he knew that scream anyways. He could detect it from anywhere. Bolting forwards, Naruto raced up the steps, ignoring the elevator completely. It probably would have been slower anyways.

Once he reached the room Mizuki and he shared, he grabbed the doorknob, shaking it frantically. The door was locked; however, the screams were louder here. Naruto growled his heart beating fast. He just hoped that Mizuki was okay. Bringing his foot backwards a bit, he grunted and kicked forwards as hard as he could, his foot coming into contact with the door. A creaking sound filled his ears and to his relief the door had come clean off of its hinges and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Naruto rushed inside, expecting to see someone over Mizuki, hurting her. But no, that wasn't the case. Mizuki was just plain screaming, her back arched. It was so arched that her torso lifted well off the ground, writhing in pain. Naruto gasped and rushed to her side, sliding on the bed to get to her. He grabbed her torso at first gently, but harder when she began to squirm in his arms.

He didn't know anything he could do but to hold her and keep her from moving so much. Was the stage she was going through that stressful? Is this the part that Lady Tsunade predicted could make her die? Shaking the last thought away, Naruto placed a hand on the back of her head, pulling it to the crook of his neck. It seemed like her spasms were slowing down, but he refused to let her go.

He began to rock her when all she was doing was shaking. Naruto shook his head, trying to get his wet hair out of his face. His headband was on the nightstand but he didn't feel like putting it on. He had discarded his jacket during training - he hoped that Pervy Sage would get it on his way back - so he was cool and the headband would just make it worse.

Naruto sat there for a while, feeling strange. Like something was... Off. After staring blankly for a while, he tearfully realized what it was.

Mizuki had stopped moving.

Looking down, Mizuki had indeed stopped shaking. Turning her over in his arms, he saw that her eyes were open and white, weird writing starting to make its way down her body. He gasped, wondering what this was.

"Mizuki!" he yelled, shaking her.

As he shook her, though, he was pushed away by a sudden force, ramming into a wall. While he slid down it, two figures appeared by the door, two he knew as Pervy Sage and Lady Tsunade. In Pervy Sage's hands were indeed his jacket, but it was quickly discarded onto a seat nearby. They both reached his side in a couple of bounds, simultaneously grabbing one of his arms and lifting him up.

"What happened?" Lady Tsunade's voice asked.

She was looking at Mizuki with – what was it – _recognition _in her eyes? Naruto shook his head to clear it and shrugged. "I don't know! I was training and saw that the traditional mumbo jumbo whatever thing was starting so I came back here. I heard screaming and new it was Mizuki so I… kicked down the door and saw her screaming and writhing in pain. I tried to help her but then she just starting glowing like a flashlight or something and I got pushed away. In the meantime those weird letters or whatever they are got encrypted on her body." He said, explaining the best that he could.

Lady Tsunade frowned. "Well, I think all we can do is fix this _door_ and wait it out. There's nothing we can do."

Just as she said that Mizuki's body returned to normal, the weird stuff on her body retreating back until it was gone. Naruto rushed to her side and lifted her up in his arms again, looking down at her through the bangs that continually fell in his face. Sighing he pushed them out, only for them to fall back again. _And that's why my headband is here._ He thought, sighing. Mizuki shifted and Naruto gasped silently. _Wake up, wake up, wake up!_ He thought over and over again.

"Mmmm. Naruto?" an voice said.

Eyes widened.

Naruto looked down and…!

**Author-chan: **Cliffhangah? Don't cha know it! lmao


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: The Beginning of the End**

Mizuki was confused.

She didn't know where she was, and when she got there. All she knew is she was laying on something soft, and she was in warm comfortable arms. She let her body lay limp for a while, enjoying the embrace much more then the weird restraining things that kept her from moving while she was sick. It was quite strange to her how everything went… Her grandfather had never explained to her that part and that's what made her even more creeped out. Soon, she began to remember the arms. They were something that she imagined shamefully wrapping around her in an embrace, and now it was happening. Shifting slightly, she fought down the blush that was starting to work its way heatedly up to her face.

"Mmmm, Naruto?" she finally questioned, coughing.

Her voice was scratchy and it hurt to talk, but at least she was able to. She felt herself lift up slightly and began to open her eyes, only able to squint at first. Though the light was heaven to her mind, it was hell to her eyes. Closing them again, Mizuki sighed, opening them not moments after. The sight she saw was breathtaking, so breathtaking that she had to mentally pinch herself. She hated this new side of her, and she wondered where it came from. There above her was Naruto, the one and only knucklehead. He seemed different however, more exhausted. He had slight bags under his eyes, and his eyes seemed harder, but he was swelling with happiness, she thought.

She stared up at him for a while, taking in the change. His headband was off, she noticed with a start. His golden hair had fallen into his face as he looked down at her, grinning cheesily. She liked it more that way, she thought. So was that stupid orange jacket… Shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she groaned, realizing that that was not a good idea. Lifting up her head shakily, she placed it on her head, feeling a pounding headache coming on.

"Mizuki! You're awake!" Naruto yelled.

_Great, yeah, but didn't you notice that from the beginning? Like… I don't know, when I opened my eyes? You did't have to tell me that._She thought bitterly, her headache not getting much better, if not worse.

"Oh really? I didn't notice." She retorted a bit harshly, wincing.

Hearing a familiar chuckle, Mizuki tilted her head back, noticing Jiriaya-sensei leaning against the wall with a smug smile on his face. Rolling her eyes, Mizuki hesitantly placed her hands on the bed, pushing herself up. She winced again, looking gratefully over to Naruto when he helped her lean up and then back against the headboard.

"What happened? What day is it? Why the _heck_ is the door knocked down?" she asked, her eyes widening when she looked over at the door.

It had knocked on its hinges, laid out in the front part of their room. Naruto chuckled nervously, reaching behind his head to scratch his neck.

"You see… What had happened was…" he blabbered, going into a long incoherent speech, "And that's what happened!"

Blinking stupidly at him, Mizuki sighed, giving up. She wouldn't get anything out of him. Just then, she saw Tsunade come out of the bathroom, holding up a warm cloth. "Hey." She simply said when she reached her, placing the cloth on Mizuki's head.

Nodding slightly in recognition, Mizuki looked away, memories coming back to her, of what had happened when she woke up. _I fought with Ryou… Not too long ago. That shows me how much I have to go to beat him. Not even Yoji-sensei's technique worked on him… This isn't good._

"Mizuki? Eh… Mizuki? Did you hear me?" Waving a hand in her face, Naruto look at her with concern, wondering what she could possibly be thinking about.

"Yeah? What is it?" she mumbled quietly, still a bit zoned out.

"Orochimaru is coming tomorrow."

Head snapping up painfully, Mizuki chocked on what seemed to be nothing. _He's coming tomorrow? I haven't made up my mind yet! Wait… Naruto couldn't mean that. He doesn't know about me wanting to go to Orochimaru with Sasuke… Does he?_

"W-what? What for?" she inquired, trying not to act suspicious.

"Pervy Sage said that he wants the old hag to heal his arms so that he can attack Konoha. But we're trying to talk her out of it." He whispered, looking back at Tsunade, who was looking out of the window longingly.

Naruto then jumped up, running over suddenly to Jiriaya-sensei. Turning away from him, she sighed. Mizuki knew what she was thinking about. Looking down at her hands, she noticed something shining in her view. Glancing at Naruto who was now annoying Pervy Sage, she grabbed the chains around her neck, lifting both necklaces out. She had just recently started to wear the one Tsunade gave to her, it brought back memories that she actually used to like, until now at least. But the other one was way more interesting to her.

The necklace that her mother had given her.

She looked at it often, hoping to have an encounter like she did before, where she saw her family. Was that even real? It didn't seem possible to see the dead but she wanted to believe so much that she did. She stared now just as longily as Tsunade, wishing the times of her past had transferred to her future.

"You still have the necklace?" a voice said.

Looking up, she saw Tsunade looking down at her, smiling softly. Her eyes looked dull and lifeless, but she still managed to smile. That was something that she remembered about her. It was good to know that everything didn't change for once. Nodding slowly, Mizuki lifted it up higher, moving it around so the light caught it perfectly.

"Yeah, I always keep it with me, even though it might not be on me." She whispered, closing her eyes for a moment to relish the silence they were all lapsed in.

But Naruto, being Naruto, had to ruin it, yelling at Jiriaya-sensei and practically dragging him out of the nonexistent door. She watched them leave, waving when they paused for a moment to do so. When they disappeared, she sighed, pressing the warm cloth harder onto her head. It felt really good, she noticed.

"I hear that Orochimaru is coming tomorrow." Mizuki said, bringing up the topic that she knew should be left buried. She had to get to the bottom of things, though, so she didn't let the opportunity pass.

"Yeah…"

"You're not going to do what he says, are you?"

Sighing, Tsunade rubbed her temples. "I don't know, its too hard of a decision. You understand what situation I'm in, don't you?" she asked, looking down at her almost pleadingly.

Mizuki nodded, not saying a word.

"Good. Then you know the predicament I'm in."

Another nod.

"And you know that I can't just let the offer slip away."

Another nod.

"But I can't just let him go and destroy Konoha! That's my home country, no matter which way I think about it. But I still can't let the offer go away."

"But… What of loyalty to your village?" Mizuki suddenly said. She wanted to talk about going to Orochimaru without her knowing, and this was the only way she saw that she could.

"You're right… Loyalty comes above all else… That's the way of the true shinobi." Tsunade said, laughing humorlessly.

Mizuki sighed. _Thanks a lot. Now you're insulting me without even knowing it. Maybe going to Orochimaru isn't a good idea? I would betray everyone… Hinata-chan… Naruto… Would Gaara understand? Maybe I could visit him if I leave and talk to him about it…_

As they sat in silence, she noticed that it was too quiet. Where was everyone? Surely anyone would have heard a door being slammed down and would have tried to get to the bottom of it.

"Hey, Tsunade, where is everyone?" she asked, looking up.

"Some annual celebration crap." She replied, not even glancing over at Mizuki.

Mizuki sighed and nodded, deciding to lie down. Now, as she lay down, she stared at the ceiling, feeling… bored. She hadn't felt that in a long time.

**Well, maybe you should just go train.**

_Cheiko?_

**One and only.**

_Where have you been all of this time?_

**That's for me to know and you to never find out.**

_Fine, whatever, but why are you talking to me now?_

**I don't know. Maybe because you're bored? When you're bored I get bored and I hate being bored.**

_Oh…_

**Well go train already! I just told you I don't like to be bored. Make sure you've finished up the Rasengan and work on your Kunioki State or something for goodness sakes.**

Rolling her eyes at such a weird demon she got, she looked up at Tsunade.

"I'm going to train." She said.

"No no no you're not. You have to stay in bed until you get your strength back." Tsunade said immediately, not seeming to even think about it.

Mizuki pouted and rolled her eyes. _Just like old times._

"Please, Tsu-chan?" she asked, her eyes widening.

Tsunade's head snapped over to her, starring at her like a deer caught in headlights. Speechless, both females stared at each other, not knowing what to do. Mizuki felt weird… She had actually called her a name that she thought she would never use again. Before Tsunade could say anything, she jumped up and took off, not hearing anything from her.

_Man, she must be really stunned. Not like I'm not…_

Mizuki reached a secluded spot that wasn't swarmed with people, drinking sake, laughing, and enjoying life. Sighing, she closed her eyes, wondering how her body would react to suddenly training.

_Better try out this Rasengan again, maybe perfect it some more…_

**Orochimaru's P.O.V.**

Orichimaru smirked.

Everything was perfect. Kabuto had finished ahead of schedule, and their little pawn would be released in an hour. They were leaving soon, and that was just another plus. Once again, the well known snake ninja sat in his chair, fingers pressed together and snake-like eyes pointed in no particular direction. He predicted that in at most 2 weeks, he would have two little hard-working ninja's on his hands. One that would soon become his body, and another that would become his ultimate protector. He would mold them both into the best followers ever; it was hard not to. They were from the two best Clans in all of the great nations, and he has thrilled that he had the last two from them about to be in his filthy hands.

Leaning back in his seat, he smirked when four figures appeared in front of him, bowing in respect. These four, known as the Sound Four, were going to be Sasuke's reason to leave the Leaf Village. All he needed was Mizuki to make up her mind and he would be set. Just in time, Kabuto walked in, a hooded figure behind him. His head was down, casting a shadow and hiding his face from view. This animal… No, person would be convincing Mizuki to leave. She would go even without Sasuke, so if it comes to it, he'll have at least one pawn. Taking her as a body wouldn't be that bad either, but he'd rather have the Uchiha prodigy fill that seat. As his sick smirk remained plastered on his face, he got to his feet, looking down at them all before speaking his orders in his hissing voice.

"You four will need to start heading to the Leaf Village. Observe Sasuke, and gather whatever you can to make him tick. Stay in the shadows until the time is right. You," Orochimaru turned to the hooded figure, his smirk widening, "you will come with Kabuto and I. Stay hidden, and only let Mizuki aware of your presence – but make sure that it isn't enough to make the others notice. She will run after you, lead her away from the others. Then, you know what to do." After he received an apathetic nod in agreement, he stepped down, his eyes set on the exit.

While he walked, everyone followed him, making sure to keep their distance, but also keep their pace up. Orochimaru walked smoothly through the dark hallway, feeling good about things. If Tsunade healed his arms, then he would have his revenge on the Leaf and then he would be able to do things properly. Mizuki would be convinced and battle with herself until she got to the Leaf. And then, finally, Sasuke would be convinced, and they would sneak away from the Leaf, for what he hoped would be forever. He chuckled evilly to himself, startling his followers though they said nothing. Reaching his long fingers out, he stroked the wall that had appeared in front of them, making anyone else think they had reached a dead end. However, the rock moved slightly, and he pushed it effortlessly out of the way. Sun ran into the small dark cave, and they were outside. When everyone was out, the rock went back into place.

They walked silently for a couple of more minutes until they reached the forest, where they all should branch off into their separate destinations. That sick smirk still on Orochimaru's face, he turned around, his black hair lifting a bit in the wind before laying down again.

"This is where we part. _Don't _screw anything up or I will kill you. Understood? Good. Now go." Without waiting so much as any reply, he jumped off, Kabuto and the hooded figure behind him. The others paused moment as his words lingered heavily in the air, and then they as well jumped away. And so, the start of the end of the two lives in the Leaf Village began.

_I love getting what I want._

Mizuki's P.O.V

_Why am I here? Why am I wearing this?_ She thought as she looked around her at the lanterns hung up on shops and the colorful happiness whatever all around her. Somehow, Tsunade had changed lights when Mizuki came back and forced her into a blue kimono, bringing her with Jiraiya-sensei and Naruto to the celebration thing whatever.

"Just enjoy yourself, Mizuki. Let go of your anger and revenge-driven mind and just _enjoy _yourself. It won't hurt to have some fun, you know." Tsunade said, smiling at her.

Mizuki turned away quickly, trying to make it seem like she wasn't going to try and have fun. No matter how much she hated wearing the kimono with the overly large sash bow and _makeup_, she wanted to have fun. She hadn't felt this pretty since she was so much younger, and it brought back memories that reluctantly brought a small ghost of a smile to her face. Naruto laughed suddenly, causing her to jump and think that he had saw it. However, that was not the case. Instead, he had found a ramen shop and was overly excited, dragging Mizuki along with everyone else to the stand.

"Oh we just gotta get some ramen! I'm starving!" he yelled, making Mizuki's ears ring.

Sighing, she allowed herself to be pulled along like a rag doll, wanting this night to end so much. When they reached the ramen bar he sat her down beside him and ordered ramen for them both. Somehow, Tsunade and Jiraiya-sensei got away because they didn't follow them into the little booth to eat. She shook her head and wished that she had been as luck as they were, Naruto would probably ask her to pay and she didn't want all of her money to be gone because he ate enough to cover all she had in her wallet.

Next thing she knew, there was a bowl of ramen in front of her. Her stomach growled and she chuckled silently to herself, breaking apart her chopsticks and digging in. It wasn't nearly as good as Ichiraku's, but it still was pretty tasty.

"Not as good as Ichiraku's but it's still pretty good isn't it Mizuki!" Naruto exclaimed, already on his third bowl by the time Mizuki was done with her fist.

_Gosh, he took the words right out of my mouth._

"Yeah, I guess so." She replied.

Once Naruto finished eating, they split the bill and left. Mizuki was happy that she still had quite a bulge in her wallet because she had thought that she wouldn't have anything at all. It still wasn't fair though… She had only ate three bowls… He ate over ten bowls and then would have ate more had she not had stopped him.

"So, where to now?" he asked her, clasping his hands together behind his head and strolling casually down the street with her.

Mizuki secretly wanted to go over to a booth and play some games like she did for her old festivals and the Konoha festivals, but she refrained from letting that side of her come back to life again.

"I don't care, you choose. Just don't pick something stupid, alright?"

Naruto seemed to ignore the last part of her words and grabbed her arm yet again, dragging her towards who knows where. As they ran, Mizuki looked down at their clasped hands; her pale, cold one connected with his tan, warm one. The thought of it brought a small blush to her cheeks and it didn't help that she could feel a couple of people looking at them, probably thinking that they were on a date.

_A date… With Naruto…_

Sighing, she was relieved when they stopped in front of a stand. It was a type of throwing stand where you throw a ball and make it into various targets, it seemed easy enough. The man behind the counter saw us curiously looking and smiled kindly. "Well hello there. I see that you're a little bit interested? Would you like to play for the little lady, boy? I'm sure that you could win her a nice stuffed animal or something. Boyfriends tend to like to show off when it comes to this." He told him, chuckling.

Naruto as well as Mizuki turned bright red, Mizuki the first to exclaim his misunderstanding. "We're actually not dating. He's only my teammate." She said quickly, glancing over at Naruto from the corner of her eye. She wasn't sure about the expression on his face, he had it screwed up into something unknown to her. A second later, however, he was back to his cheerful and loud self.

"I'll still win you something, Mizuki! It'll be nice to know that I can do something without messing it up." He said, teasing slightly.

"Hai hai, just don't take too long. With your coordination and skill you'll use up the rest of your money."

"Will not!" he exclaimed.

"Will too!" I said back boredly.

"Not!"

"Too!"

"Not!"

"Too!"

"NOT!"

"TO-"

"Well aren't you two just like an old married couple." The man broke in, laughing once again, "So, what'll it be? It's only 19 yen!"

Mizuki refrained from insulting the old man for calling them a couple, sighing and letting it slide. It would be useless to fight against it, it took up too much effort anyways. She knew that they weren't… together or anything, so she didn't need to get mad over him saying that they were. Naruto nodded and then took out the money, slamming it slightly on the counter. Once three balls were placed in front of him he smirked and tried to act cool, lifting up a ball and pulling it backwards.

"Alright, here we go! I'll definitely hit the mark!"

* * *

><p>"I told you that you would hardly be able to hit the targets. You wasted all of your money just to get me this key chain!" Mizuki exclaimed chuckling and looking down at the small little keychain.<p>

It consisted of a dragon, fox, and raven, something that she had saw and immediately fell in love with. It reminded her of Naruto and Sasuke, as well as herself. She saw herself as the fox, Naruto the dragon, and Sasuke the raven. Naruto was the dragon because he somehow got you to respect him. He had this hidden power to him that amazed Mizuki whenever she saw it. It brought a look of happiness to her face when she thought about how much he had grown in the past year. Sasuke was the raven because of not only his hair and eye color, but his intelligence. Sasuke has this sort of intelligence that you know is there, but you couldn't possibly know the full extent of it.

No matter what, you always can be surprised by his skill and power. She had been surprised many times in the past, like when they fought Haku and during the Preliminary and Final rounds of the Chuunin Exams. _Oh yeah, thinking about the Chuunin Exams, I wonder if I was made a Chuunin_.

Her power during that battle was evident, and she couldn't see why she wouldn't be made one. Maybe they were still pondering her maturity? Nah, she was pretty mature to begin with…

"Mizuki? Hey, Mizuki, stop zoning out like that, it's creepy." Naruto said, snapping her out of her trance.

Glancing up, she rolled her eyes and nodded none the less, wondering where they were now. She hadn't paid attention and hardly noticed that they had moved let alone went halfway across the long stretch of shops.

_A bonfire?_

**Yes, most people do this to set off the end of the Festival. I've seen it in another lifetime… I'm sure that you'll enjoy it.** Chieko said suddenly, almost making me jump in surprise. _Almost._

_Really? Oh, well thanks._

**No problem.**

Mizuki stood beside Naruto and stared into the flames of the bonfire, wondering what it would feel like to dance around it like she used to. She wouldn't dare do it now, but watching the others dance around it made her once again think of when she had done it herself.

"Let's dance, Mizuki!"

Head snapping to the side, Mizuki raised an eyebrow at Naruto, shaking her head. "No." she said simply, having no desire what so ever to dance. She didn't want to embarrass herself like that, let alone do that in the first place.

"Live a little! Just for tonight, please? I won't tell anyone and we can put this all behind us tomorrow. I will nag you all night if I have too!" Naruto exclaimed, tugging her hand and leading her towards the bonfire.

A part of her really wanted this so Mizuki allowed him to lead her towards the fire. It danced in her blue eyes and she let herself go for the first time in a long time. Looking once again at Naruto, she almost smiled, making his eyes widen a little bit. Hardly taking notice of this, she simply nodded and held out her hand again.

"Fine. Let's act like idiots for one night, Naruto."

Smiling cheesily, he nodded. Mizuki then started to repeat what she had done when she was younger; leap in the air and twirl around, following ancient tribe moves that she had learned. It was strange how it all just came back to her, like she had never missed it. Next thing she knew, people were clapping in time to Naruto and Mizuki's dancing, Naruto trying to keep up with her and not look like an idiot at the same time. Turning to him, she actually smiled genuinely, making his breath catch.

He had never seen her look so beautiful and _alive_. Her eyes were light blue and she really was smiling. Her arms were above her head and she twirled around, somehow keeping her eyes on him to make sure that he was keeping up. When they finally got tired they fell backwards onto the grass, causing everyone to clap and go back to doing what they were before. Yawning, Mizuki made Naruto scoot back out of everyone's way, lazily watching the fire crackle.

"This was a fun night. I've never really had this much fun before, so thanks for showing me a good time, even though you didn't intend to." Naruto said, chuckling and scratching the back of his neck.

"No problem, let's just get back to the hotel." She said, helping him up.

They ninja jumped back to the hotel and went to their room, opening the door and heading inside. Mizuki went into the bathroom and changed into some short shorts and a tank top for bed, waiting for Naruto to finish before coming back out. Sliding into her bed, she yawned once again and buried her head in her pillow, not able to keep herself from smiling at what had happened tonight.

"G'night, Naruto." She told him quietly, feeling drowsiness take over.

"Mmm night Mizuki." He said groggily before snoring.

Mizuki sighed at his snoring and shook her head in disgrace. Lifting up the keychain, she looked at it, smiling to no one in particular. Right now she did not care that she should have trained tonight, she did not care that she should make a decision to go to Orochimaru or not. All she cared about is that she really had fun tonight. She didn't want to ever forget this night…

"Thanks, Naruto." She whispered to herself before falling asleep.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: A Disturbing Visit from the Past**

Mizuki rolled on the ground, jumping up to her feet. Staring down at her hands, she frowned, wondering what was going on with her. Her Rasengan was working perfectly; there was a huge crater in front of her that proved her dialysis, but her Kunioki State was lacking in power. She couldn't seem to tap into that power that allowed her to manipulate the four elements. Glaring hatefully at this weird twist of fate, she tried again, closing her eyes. She imagined herself swelling up with that addictive power, feeling the wind move at her will as she breathed, smelling the sweet smell of soil as it lifted from the ground at her slightest finger twitch, seeing the fire lick up from out of nowhere to threaten her enemy, and finally, she imagined the water from each one of those things, ready for her to move it at her will.

But as she opened her eyes and kicked out to produce fire, nothing happened.

Grunting in frustration she looked up, the moon shining down at her. Yes, she had been out all day, trying to figure out this frustrating mystery. She fell backwards, landing softly on the grass beneath her. _What do I do? If this doesn't come back then I'll never be able to fight Ryou properly. Half of my power diminished? I could barely even put up with him before, now I'll just be crushed like a bug._ She thought, growling out suddenly.

Once her growling ceased, she reached into her shirt, pulling out her mother's necklace again. In the moon it seemed to shine more, but not nearly as much as it had on that day. Images of her family smiling at her and her father hugging her filled her mind and she could practically smell his scent, their voices still rang in her ears and the words she had spoken rested still on her tongue. Shaking her head to clear it, she thought of Sasuke. How was he? She missed him, the talks they had and the unspoken connection between them.

But once again, a big brother had to get in between that.

She could remember it clearly. Itachi grabbing Sasuke and pinning him against the wall, putting him in a genjutsu. Shaking her head in disapproval, she sighed once again, deciding that it would be best to go back. She needed to get at least a little rest, since tomorrow they were going to be meeting up with Orochimaru and no doubt Kabuto. But something seemed to disturb her…

It felt like something bad was going to happen.

Dismissing the thought immediately, she started to walk back to the hotel, looking around her. Everything seemed to gain an eerie feeling, since it was night of course. Glancing over her shoulder, she gasped silently. She could have sworn that she felt a familiar presence. But she knew it wasn't true – it had to be her mind playing tricks on her.

But she couldn't shake the feeling.

It was as if someone from her Clan was there, but she wasn't exactly sure. Soon, however, she reached the hotel, not feeling the presence again. That made her believe that she had just imagined it. Heading inside and going up the stairs, she reached the room she shared with Naruto, noticing the door had been fixed. Chuckling softly, she reached to her side, going into her kunai pouch and pulling out the key. Sliding it in, she waited a moment for it to turn green before opening the door, going inside. Naruto lay passed out on the bed. Blinking, she walked over curiously, cocking her head to the side. Before she could completely approach him, she averted her course, deciding to stay away from him at the moment and take her shower.

Grabbing everything she needed, she walked into the bathroom, closing the door and locking it. After she undressed and turned on the hot shower, she climbed in, immediately sighing in content. How could something so little as a hot shower calm her down so much? While she washed herself slowly, she closed her eyes, sighing and going over everything that had happened. She hated the fact that a huge chunk of her mind seemed blank – that was when she was sick – and she really wanted to be filled in on what had happened. Naruto had tried to explain it to her, yes, but I mean, this is Naruto we're talking about… he can't explain anything.

Hearing the door close suddenly, Mizuki's eyes snapped open, going into alert mode. _What the hell? I locked the friggin' door, who could have gotten in?_ She thought in frustration, freezing so that she could try and hear who was inside the bathroom with her. Strangely enough, she couldn't feel a presence, or hear breathing at all. Closing her eyes, she pushed out her senses, trying to detect anything that she could to tell her if she was alone or not. Soon enough she gave up, deciding that it was just another trick to her mind. _Man, I'm really losing it lately._ She thought, sighing again. First, her Kunioki State doesn't work, and now she's imagining nonexistent presences?

There had to be something wrong with her.

Maybe it was just after-sickness jitters? It was a sucky attempt for an explanation, but it was the only thing she could come up with that was in the least bit reasonable. Sighing in deep annoyance, Mizuki quickly finished her shower, reaching out to grab her towel when the water was off. As she was drying herself, she heard an off-place sound.

Paper moving.

Pulling the towel away from her body, she saw that there was a note type thing attached to it. Her face becoming red with anger, she tore the paper off, turning it to read what was written on it. Though it took more time than it should have because she was furious that someone had been in the bathroom while she was _naked_ she was soon able to make out the words, which immediately made her pale in shock. Her eyes were as wide as saucers, she just didn't believe it. She couldn't believe it.

Someone was playing a dirty trick on her and she would get to the bottom of it and beat that person senseless.

Tearing up the paper, she tossed it to the water that still remained by the drain. Slowly, as it swirled around, it got small enough for it to be able to go down the drain. She glared at it one last time before walking out of the shower, her towel wrapped around her. She turned to her clothes and then got dressed, feeling that it was harder to keep from crying than she had ever experienced before. Walking out of the door once she was in her night clothes, she sighed, pausing a moment to close her eyes tightly. When she opened them again, she was happy to see that the moon was shining in, overcoming everything with its' light.

She turned to Naruto, once again taking in how handsome he looked, though he didn't sleep as well as she thought he looked. She felt a little weird, thinking about him this way, but she couldn't help it. No matter how hard she tried to fight it, it was still there. After glancing at him one last time, she went over to her bed, sliding in and turning so she wasn't facing him. Letting out a small groan of agony – the only way to express her pain – she closed her eyes and let sleep overcome her.

* * *

><p>"<em>Kannon-kun! Stop tickling me!" a young Mizuki exclaimed, wiggling around.<em>

_Her short hair slapped around her face, her light blue eyes shining with laughter as she tried to get away from his iron but gentle grasp. Kannon's deep chuckles didn't cease as he continued to tickle her, gaining great enjoyment from watching her laugh. Botan looked at the both of them and smiled. He knew how much they both loved being with each other, though the age difference was great. Mizuki was just like a best friend to Kannon, not matter how strange that might be to his Clanmates. _

_Turning to go back to his guard duties, Botan blinked, believing that he had sensed a presence. Turning to Kannon to see if he had reacted, his assumption was shot down when he saw that he was just laughing with Mizuki. Shaking his head in disapproval now, he turned back to his duties again, bringing his senses up a notch. He didn't sense anything at the moment, so he put the thought out of his mind._

"_I think that's all the time we have for today I'm afraid, Mizuki. I have to get back to my duties and you're need to go to the Academy." Kannon's voice suddenly said, Mizuki's giggles slowing more and more until they stopped._

"_Aww, no fair! Will you play with me tomorrow, Kannon-kun?" she asked hopefully, frowning._

_Kannon smiled warmly at her and brought his fingers down to lift up Mizuki's face and make her smile. Since she couldn't help it, she smiled for real and let out a couple of giggles. As that happened, Kannon leaned back, nodding._

"_Of course we can play tomorrow. And the day after that. So on and so forth until you get tired of little old me." He said cheerfully, standing up from his squat. _

_Mizuki tugged on his pant leg to get his attention and when he looked down at her she got on her tippy toes and wrapped her small arms around him. He chuckled softly and picked her up to hug her, kissing her forehead before placing her back on the ground. She smiled at him and waved at him and Botan, turning and running off. As she headed towards the Academy in her Clan, she thought about what they would do tomorrow. She wanted to play hide and go seek… It was her favorite game to play with him because he could never find her. It always took him forever._

"_Oh look, it's the demon." A voice said._

_Mizuki frowned and stopped walking, looking over to the side. Kids from the Academy sat there, smirking at her. She hated this part of the day; they would talk down on her and sometimes hit her. Not wanting to go through this today, she turned and walked towards the door, only for someone to grab her black hair and pull her back, tripping her up so that she would smack on the ground with a heavy thud. Squeaking in pain, Mizuki's eyes watered, fighting to keep back the tears._

"_Oh are you hurting, Demon-chan?" Dai asked._

_She looked up, her lip quivering when she saw her old friend's cold eyes. She pulled her legs to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. As her head was tugged back painfully by her hair, she tried to block out the pain, knowing only more would come. Just as she thought that, a boy came up and kicked her hard in the side, laughing and high fiving his friends._

_That was just like a dam opening._

_Everyone began to have their turn in beating the 'Useless demon' and all Mizuki could do was try to bare it. When she thought that she could take no more, big warm arms wrapped around her like an angel, her bruised body being lifted up. As no more pain came, she opened her eyes hesitantly and looked up to see Kannon, her father not feet away from him. She then let her tears out, burying her head into his shirt. Her father strode angrily past them, walking angrily inside the Academy with a stomp to every step. Everyone watching ran inside as well and the group that had hurt her ran off, giggling to themselves. _

"_Are you alright?" Kannon asked, pulling her away from his shirt to look her in the eye._

_He lifted up a hand and wiped a tear away with his thumb, frowning even more. Mizuki lifted up her tiny fists to wipe the rest of her tears away, putting up a smile for him. Just for him._

"_I'm fine." She said, sniffling._

"_No you're not. How about we take you out of the Academy for today? Your father and I will treat you to ice cream and we can go to the park. Just the three of us." He offered, tucking her hair behind her ear._

_Smiling and nodding enthusiastically, Mizuki agreed, wanting to stay away from the Academy, just for a little while. Soon enough her father came out, throwing a twitching smile to Mizuki before pulling her in a hug._

"_Let's go get some ice cream."_

Mizuki woke up suddenly, realizing with shame that tears were running down her face. Curling up in a ball as if to keep herself together, she let herself cry, just this time. She couldn't keep herself together, and she hated that. But just the same, her heart ached and she couldn't ignore it this time. She missed her family, Kannon-kun, and even Botan-kun. He didn't play with her much, but at least he was nice to her.

Naruto's P.O.V.

Naruto woke suddenly to hear slight sobs, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Sitting up in his bed, he looked around, his sleeping cap falling in his eyes. Pushing it up and wiping sleep out of them, he stretched and then turned to see what the noises were. Finding Mizuki curled up in a ball, he blinked, standing up and walking over to her.

"M-Mizuki?" he inquired, placing a hand on her side.

Mizuki seemed to twitch before she slowly sat up, turning to face Naruto. He could see tears running down her cheeks and his eyes widened. Was this really the first time that he had seen her cry? Hesitantly lifting up a hand, he wiped away a tear with his thumb. That only made her cry even harder, he noticed. He was frantic. What could he do to stop her from crying?

Lifting her up, he slid on the bed with her, pulling her into a hug. Though he had soon thought that this was a dream, he felt that he should take his only chance to hold her close to him. He couldn't do this in real life – she would kick him…. Down there – but in a dream this was what he wanted. Her to open up to him and show a softer side, right? After a while, Mizuki's arms wrapped around him, hugging him tightly back and placing her head on his neck. Unknown to him, this was real life, and all she could think about was having Sasuke hug her like this so that she could tell him about all of her troubles.

Naruto sat like that with her for a while, soon feeling reckless and lifting her head up to look at her. He smiled goofily at her and ruffled her hair. Everything that he wanted to do – except kiss her, he didn't want to push his luck even in a dream – he did, and it seemed as if she didn't mind too much. Again, she was only thinking of Sasuke, but he didn't know that. He thought that in this dream she shared the same feelings for him and wanted him to hug her close.

"I think we should go back to sleep. It's already in the early morning." Mizuki's soft voice said.

How he longed to hear her talk to him that way.

Nodding like a dumb idiot, he stood up, pulling his arms reluctantly away and walked back to his bed, sliding in and pulling the covers up to his chin. Smiling, he closed his eyes, letting the dream fade away.

* * *

><p>When Naruto woke up, Shizune was over him, half asleep.<p>

"Woah! What are you doing here?" Naruto asked loudly, leaning back away from her.

Shizune twitched and snapped awake, looking up at Naruto. Cocking her head to the side, she leaned forward.

"How are you awake? I carried you back from the training grounds, and you were passed out with barely any chakra!" Shizune exclaimed, Ton Ton oinking beside her.

Naruto blinked and shrugged, chuckling nervously and reaching behind his head to scratch the back of his neck. Hearing a groan, Naruto turned, watching Mizuki sit up and open her eyes. He felt as if last night was a dream but he wanted to be sure. If she glanced at him differently, he would know that it was real. Mizuki glanced over at him and then glared, falling back onto the bed. Sighing, he turned away, only to see something outside the window. He did a double take, and then he noticed Jiraiya.

"Look, it's Ero-sannin!" he bellowed, running to the window as it shakily opened.

Jiraiya almost fell in, but all three of them were able to get him to Mizuki's bed. They continued to support him as he seemed to be angry, his eyes slits.

"She drugged me."

**Mizuki's P.O.V.**

Mizuki's eyes were set in front of them as they ran quickly, trying to find Tsunade. _What a pain_. She thought, shaking her head. Though she knew something like this was going to happen, she didn't stop it. Tsunade had struck a nerve when she had talked about loyalty, and she had a feeling that she wouldn't really heal Orochimaru's hands.

Orochimaru.

Chills ran down her arms just thinking about him. Even though she kind of wanted to go to him with Sasuke, she despised him. He was just a slimy sly idiot that used others to get his way. That didn't mean that she wouldn't use him herself, though. It was about time that he got a taste of his own medicine. Take a couple of years for him to teach her everything he knew and then leave him to the vultures?

Sounded good.

It was a bit cunning and deceiving for someone of her age, but she felt anger to him that was almost up there with how much she despised her brother. Clearing her head so that she wouldn't be caught off guard, she looked over at Jiraiya-sensei, Naruto and Shizune. They were looking forward as well, an unreadable expression on Shizune's face.

Not bothering to look at them any longer, she caught Tsunade's presence, speeding up her pace. Obviously she wasn't the only one; Shizune picked up her pace as well, which made Naruto grumble and speed up as well. Though Jiraiya was drugged, he managed to keep up with them. Soon, they reached where Orochimaru and Kabuto were, Mizuki's body tensing just at the sight of him. She hadn't seen him in a while, but as soon as she did it was reminded of the Chunnin Exams. Skidding to a stop with the other two, she looked up at Tsunade. She was shaking, her eyes wide. Following her gaze, she saw that Kabuto's wrists were cut. Rolling her eyes, Mizuki appeared beside Tsunade, turning her away from Kabuto's wrists. She knew that she was afraid of blood – they had many encounters with Mizuki hurting herself while training.

Tsunade looked up at her and glared, frowning.

"What the hell are you four doing here? Do! Leave!" Tsunade manage to yell.

Mizuki glared. "I don't think you're in a position to tell us to leave." She pointed out.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya went into battle with Orochimaru, despite his drugged problem. Naruto and Shizune ran over to them, helping to protect Tsunade from an approaching Kabuto. Mizuki stood up, ready to help protect her.

But then, she felt the presence.

Turning quickly, she tried to get even the slightest glimpse. They were closer than ever before and she knew that she should be able to see the person. She had to. Anger began to boil in her when she saw a hooded figure, glancing at Naruto and Shizune. The words on the note bounced around in her head, making her want to pursue the figure. They wouldn't notice her absence if she left for a little while… Would they?

Nah.

Mizuki turned on her heel and disappeared, unaware of the smirk plastered on Kabuto and Orochimaru's faces. Following the presence she sensed, Mizuki tried to contain her anger. By now, a red tint was beginning to appear around her vision. She couldn't help it. Someone trying to taunt her with something like _that?_ She wouldn't calm down. After a while of having to do expert weaving and leaping over trees, she finally reached a small clearing, where the figure was. It wasn't facing her, but she could bet that whoever it was was smirking.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with you? Following me… Coming into the bathroom when I'm taking a shower? I _know _that it was you, so why don't you show yourself and explain to me what the hell is your problem?"

The wind started to blow heavily, whipping Mizuki's hair around her face. Just then, it was as if the wind was whispering to her. _Calm down, pipsqueak._ It seemed to say. She knew that the words had to be from the figure, and that juts infuriated her even more. She didn't even stop to think how familiar that was.

"Calm down? _Calm down?_ You want me to calm down? Well no, I'm not. You give me a message like that and expect me to calm down just because you say so? Hell no!" she yelled, her voice ringing around the clearing.

This was the first time that she had been so angry that she had lost control of her temper, which was a really bad thing. But obviously, something good was coming out of it. The figure was turning around, hands coming up to grip the hood that covered the person's face.

_Do you want to know who I am?_

Once again the wind spoke to her. Not saying anything, she simply nodded, her eyes narrowing. She wanted to see the face of the person that she would kill. Slowly, the hood went backwards, exposing lips, and then a nose, and finally, eyes and hair.

Mizuki gasped, chocking on nothing.

_This can't be true, it can't be._

Mizuki stared at the person she now knew, everything out of place. She watched as the person took a step towards her, only able to react by stepping back. A hand reached out towards her, as if they were trying to bring her to him.

"Mizuki… Do you not want to come into my arms anymore?"

The voice was like music to her ears. But she didn't trust it. She remained in her place, her eyes narrowing even more.

"I can't trust you. How do I know if you are true?"

"I can convince you." The person simply said.

Mizuki snorted though her heart was aching.

"Fine. Convince me, Kannon. If that's really you, that is."


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28: Sudden Realization

Mizuki glared at Kannon, waiting for him to convince her that it was the real him. She kept her distance, her hands close to her kunai pouch just in case he turned on her and started to attack her. Now that his little secret was out, Kannon took off his cloak, tossing it to the side. His body was just like it used to be; muscular arms, toned legs, and a tattoo on his right arm. If he was indeed an imposter, Mizuki had to hand it to him, he really could fake a person.

"So? Convince me." She repeated, tempted to cross her arms, though they stayed stiffly at her side.

Kannon sighed, running a hand through his hair, letting it fall into his eyes. His eyes caught her gaze, and that's what was different about them. They held so much sorrow and depression that Mizuki was almost convinced that there was no way to act like someone was in that much pain.

Almost.

"Fine, if you really want me to. We always would play together, even when I was on guard duty. You'd come through almost every day due to going to play with Hinata-chan, you're best and only friend outside of the Clan. Then you met Haku, who also became your best friend. I worked with Botan, one of my best friends who were my age. He always teased you playfully about random things." He began, sighing.

Mizuki narrowed her eyes.

"That doesn't prove anything. Sure, you know those things, but they aren't hard to figure out. I want you to tell me something that only you and I know." Mizuki demanded, letting her arms come up and put her long hair in a pony tail.

The wind was annoying her; her hair kept going in her face and she needed to keep her eyes straight on him so he didn't try anything sneaky. Once her hair was safely out of her face, she looked back at him, her darkened blue eyes catching his.

"Okay… When you got picked on at the Academy, your father and I came to pick you up for ice cream and to go to the park. During the time at the park, he had to leave and we sat by the small lake. You dipped your feet into the water and complained at how cold it was. I then heated it up for you with a fire jutsu and you told me that I was the best friend that you ever had, though Hinata-chan competed harshly. I then replied by saying…"

Mizuki had already started to zone out slightly the memory still vivid in her mind.

**Flashback**

_Mizuki looked out onto the setting sun, her feet dangling in the cold water. She frowned at them, lifting them out of the cold depths. Turning to Kannon who was sitting beside her, she voiced her situation, her eyes pleading._

"_The water is cold, Kannon-kun. Could you heat it up with a fire jutsu?" she asked, sticking out her bottom lip._

_Knowing that he couldn't possibly resist her face when she was looking at him like that, he brought his hands up, doing a couple of quick hand signs. Blowing out, a small ball of fire went towards the water, steaming away as soon as it touched it. Smiling in amazement and happiness, Mizuki gingerly lowered her feet back into the water, her smile widening when she felt that it was indeed much warmer than before._

"_Yay! Thanks, Kannon-kun, you're the best friend that I could ever have."_

_Kannon turned to her, giving her an eye-closed smile. "Oh that can't be true. What about Hinata-chan?" he asked, leaning down to ruffle her hair._

_Giggling and pushing his hand away, she fixed her hair, shaking her head. "I love Hinata-chan, but she can't always be with me like you can. You guys are like in a competition, but you're winning just slightly." She informed him._

_Pausing for a moment to take in just how intelligent she was at a young age, he wrapped his arms around him, lifting her up so that she would sit in his lap. As he looked out over the horizon, he frowned sadly. He knew something that he wished that he could tell her. But he knew that if he did, it would hurt her for forever. How could she have said something so hurtful to him? Not in that way, of course, but what he wanted to say seemed so wrong now that she had confessed that he was just slightly better than her other best friend._

"_Mizuki, I might be going away soon." He said suddenly after they sat in a comfortable silence._

_The young girl reacting quickly, she turned around on his lap, her eyes widened and tears already welling up in her light blue eyes. Shaking her head in disbelief, she hiccupped._

"_N-no! You can't leave me, Kannon-kun. Who is going to protect me like you do?" she exclaimed, pounding her small fists on his chest._

_Kannon pulled her close to him in a hug, placing a hand on her head._

"_Don't worry, it won't be for forever. It's just a high ranked mission that I need to do for Konoha, and it takes over a year." He explained, smiling down at her sadly as she peaked up at him._

"_You won't forget me?" she asked._

"_Never. And don't worry, I'm not leaving for a while yet. So we still have time to enjoy ourselves, ne?"_

_Mizuki smiled again and nodded, wiping her tears away. Standing up, she turned to him._

"_Betcha can't catch me!" she exclaimed, sticking out her tongue and taking off._

_Kannon chuckled, getting up._

"_Oh I bet I can." He replied, running after her._

**End Flashback**

Mizuki stared at him for a long time, letting everything sink in. She didn't know how anyone could remember that. No one was there, and she hadn't told anyone. Taking a slight step forwards, tears began to well up in her eyes.

"K-Kannon-kun?" she called out weakly, feeling like a child again.

He simply held out his arms, ready to embrace her.

Mizuki launched herself at him, going into his arms willingly. _This isn't a dream… It's actually real. He looks so much more mature now…_ she thought, sobbing in his arms.

"Where have you been all of this time?" she asked, looking up at him.

"I've been locked up. I just got free, and I wanted to come here to warn you."

Mizuki's eyes widened.

"Warn me about what?"

"You're not safe in Konoha."

* * *

><p>"How do you know all of this?" she asked, looking down at her shaking hands.<p>

Kannon hugged her tight to him, also looking at her hands. Soon, after watching them for a while, he placed his own on top of hers to calm her down.

"It was my mission. I left the day of your birthday. My team and I were investigating not only for Konoha, but _on_ Konoha. Our Clan had suspicions about the rising tension between our Clan and the Leaf Village, so this mission was suppose to ease that tension. But while on that mission with the group supplied by the Leaf Village, we overheard them talking with bad intentions to our Clan. They were supposed to get anything they could out of us that they could use against us to make up fall.

"So, with orders from our leader, we in turn searched them. We sent a patrol to snoop through their files, and we came up with horrible results. They wanted to kill people like us, Mizuki. People that were able to control all four elements. That's why we were so powerful. We are able to adapt to all of the chakra natures besides lightning, and that was a threat. It took most skilled ninja years to achieve two chakra natures, and three is nearly impossible for some. And we're able to naturally have that ability? We were a strong threat that they wanted to dwindle, just like the Uchiha Clan." He explained, his other hand stroking her back.

Mizuki didn't know what to think. She had become furious with Konoha… How dare they try to take their Clan out? Her Clan had nothing but good intentions, and she knew that. But they didn't. Glaring forwards, Mizuki was unaware of the slight smirk that had slid onto Kannon's face. When she looked back at him, it was gone.

"So what's going to happen next? Are we going to get revenge on Konoha?" she asked.

Kannon shook his head.

"There is nothing against Konoha yet. I don't have the full information, which is why I have to go into the village and get that information."

Mizuki smiled.

"Can I come with you?" she asked.

"No, it wouldn't be safe. Anyways, no one knows I'm alive, so it would be strange if you suddenly disappeared, know what I mean? I'll meet you in the future, though."

Mizuki's smile faded, and she shook her head.

"No. I'm not losing you again!"

Kannon's eyes narrowed, his hands coming up to grasp firmly onto her shoulders. Turning her so that she faced him, his eyes seemed to burn into hers, filled with so much emotion that she couldn't even begin to grasp it.

"I will not lose you too. You are the only family I have left, forget about tat bastard Ryou. I don't consider him in the Clan anymore. But I can't let you get hurt… It would kill me. You _have _to understand, Mizuki. _Please._"

Mizuki stared at him for a long time, trying not to give into his pleading. _He _hadto understand. He was the only person left in their Clan that she actually trusted; he couldn't just leave her again! Going without him for over six years was horrible; she wouldn't let that time grow any longer. She shook her head continually, not giving up. She would make him take her, not matter what she had to do to convince him.

"I'm not the same girl you once knew. I won't let you just leave me with hopes that I will see you again. I can take care of myself! I'm a good asset to you." She told him, an edge to her voice.

"I can see that Mizuki, but I can't let you come with me. I'm sorry, but I have to do this." Kannon said.

Wondering what he could possibly mean, Mizuki was shocked when he disappeared. Looking around for him, she narrowed her eyes, jumping into the air so that she could give chase. But out of the blue, someone appeared behind her. Only able to turn a little bit in midair, she saw him – or a clone of whatever – lift up their hands.

And then everything went black.

* * *

><p>"Mizuki… Mizuki! Wake up!" a voice yelled, pulling Mizuki out of her unconscious state.<p>

Suddenly alert, she leaped up, reaching down to pull out a kunai to attack the person who had talked to her. Strangely, there was no kunai pouch on her side, but there was something that made her blush. She was wearing a stupid hospital gown.

"Whoa, calm down!" the voice she recognized now as Tsunade yelled, catching when her legs gave out.

Now crumpled against the large-chested woman, she looked around her, realizing she was in the hospital. Her heart beat quickened, the happenings flooding back to her mind. Kannon was alive… And the Fire Nation and the Water Nation was to blame for her Clan's death. Looking down at her shaking hands, she then realized that he had knocked her out and left her once again. This time, though with more explanation, she was more depressed and betrayed. _Why didn't he let me go with him?_ She thought sadly.

"Where's the man that was watching me?" she suddenly asked, quietly.

"He's gone." Jiraiya-sensei said.

"What? He's gone? Gone where?" she asked, as if he was supposed to have stayed with her. She didn't know if she could trust them anymore, so she wanted to be sure that she didn't give anything about him away.

"We didn't know there was someone to begin with, so we don't know either. What happened?"

"I-…Well…That is…"

Everyone fell silent as Mizuki stared at the ground, lost in her own thoughts. There seemed to be a rising question between the two of them. _What had happened to Mizuki?_ No one had seen her this shaken up since the massacre, so it wasn't surprising that they wondered what was up.

"Mizuki?" Tsunade spoke up, "Please tell us what happened."

No response.

Sighing, the blond haired sannin stooped down so that she was level with the hospital bed. Once she was low enough, she looked at the girl's shaking form. She wasn't sure why, but she easily brought her up to her feet and turned her around so that she could look at her face.

"Tell us what happened!" she demanded angrily, all sympathy gone.

Expecting Mizuki to look up and glare, the two sannin were surprised when she merely crumpled, not bothering to help hold herself up. Mizuki, in reality, was just confused. She couldn't process everything this fast… Too many things were happened and it was making her crazy. _Kannon-kun, please be safe. I'll keep your secret, don't worry. Also, you don't have to worry much about me. Orochimaru will make me strong enough to destroy Konoha, as well as the Village Hidden in the Mist._

After staring blankly ahead for a while, she snapped out of her trance and looked up at Jiraiya. She hadn't seen him this serious in a while, so she decided to listen.

"-Seriously. We need to know what's been going on and if you don't tell us well have to tell the Elders. I don't want to, but it's my duty to. I'm not supposed to say this, but if you don't participate Ibiki will most likely get the information out of you from force again, this breaking into your mind." He said, glaring off into what seemed like another world.

Stunned into a response, Mizuki's thoughts were conformed. _Everything Kannon-kun said is true!_ Not trusting them completely anymore, she sighed and decided to lie and tell them what hat 'happened'. "I felt like I was being watched so I decided to figure out who it was watching me. I followed them to a clearing and after that I saw red eyes. Next thing I know I'm waking up here." She lied smoothly, her blue eyes blank and void of any emotion.

It was partially true, she realized. She _was_ being watched by him. She was sure that somehow he was watching her now. That thought alone made her want to smile. However, to keep away suspicion, she kept her face blank. It seemed like they took the lie pretty well. Their eyes narrowed, but she knew that it was to make sure that she wasn't making up anything. They wouldn't be able to see into her lie, no matter how hard they tried. It was true; she was the queen of lying.

"Okay. Well we'll tell the elders and see if they take that without question. I'm sure that you can leave now, we have nothing else to discuss right now." Tsunade said, smiling slightly at her.

Mizuki was sure that she was just happy that she had complied and told them 'what she knew'. Nodding, she got up and walked out, feeling a tension as she passed Jiraiya-sensei. _Does he not believe me or something? He should be glad that I told him all I supposedly know. _Closing the door behind her she looked around her, wondering what she should do.

Then, she suddenly thought about Sasuke and how he got put into a genjutsu by Itachi. _No one knows what he's going through right now… Sure they know what he __**might**__ be going through, but to relive your Clan's death repeatedly…_ She then decided to go to the receptionist's desk to get his room number to visit him. As she got to the front the lady looked up at her and grinned, as if she had been expecting her.

"Are you here to visit Lee? He's been asking for you ever since he woke up." She asked her, typing on a computer without waiting for a reply."

Shocked, Mizuki just remembered that he was in the hospital. "Oh, yeah. Uchiha Sasuke too." She replied, looking down at her fingers as she waited.

"Alright, here's their room numbers. Ah, yes! I don't know if you heard, but Hatake Kakashi is in here as well. He's your teacher, right? I thought you would like to see him as well."

Mizuki refrained from gasping, her eyes widening momentarily. Placing her palms on the desk, she leaned forwards a little bit, as if she hadn't heard right. "Nani? Yes, I would like to see him as well."

Once she got her slip with the numbers on it she turned quickly on her heel and went to Lee's room first. When she entered it, she saw that the window was open, Lee nowhere to be found. Hearing grunting, she went over to the window and leaned out of it to see lee doing push-ups. Immediately jumping out of the window, she absorbed the impact on the balls of her feet.

"Lee, what on earth are you doing out? Are you allowed to be doing this while you're checked into a hospital? She questioned incredulously, looking down at him as he turned around and looked up at her.

"Mizuki-chan! You came for me! I am overjoyed! I knew you would come!"He exclaimed. _Um… Okay. Maybe it would be safer not to? The look he's giving me makes me a little sick to my stomach… _she thought, "As you can see, I'm training! It's perfectly fine, don't worry about it!"

Mizuki nodded and was about to ask how is legs were coping when Gai-sensei and a nurse leaned out of the window. "Lee! You're not supposed to be training! Get back in here right now before you hurt yourself again!" he bellowed.

Lee glanced at Mizuki and laughed nervously, caught in his lie. "Heh heh, what had happened was… Well…" he spoke quickly, trying to cover for his mistake while doing more push-ups.

Rolling her eyes but empathizing with him, she grabbed him around the waist and heard his girly excited scream as she jumped back into his hospital room, dropping him unceremoniously onto the bed.

"Gai-sensei! Did you see? She held me!" he exclaimed.

Gai-sensei, all prior anger gone, ran to lee and wrapped his arm around him, laughing extremely loud. "That's how you do it, Lee! Woo her with the power of youth!" he boomed, Lee joining in his laughter.

Scared for her life, Mizuki turned and headed towards the door, waving over her shoulder at lee. "See you, Lee." She said, closing the door before he could think to stop her. She then ran to Kakashi-sensei-s room, hoping that he was okay. She didn't know if it was severe or not, so she was even more nervous for his health. Once she got to the door, she noticed that Tsunade had just treated him. _His mask, it's off!_ She thought, seeing it on the table. She tried to look at his face, but unfortunately Tsunade covered it completely, unknowing that there was a pair of peeping eyes trying to see her sensei's face. Sighing, she opened the door.

"Kakashi-sensei! The receptionist at the front desk told me you were here, so I decided to come check up on you. What happened?" she asked in genuine concern.

A now masked Kakashi looked up at her and gave her a one eyed smile. "Don't worry about me; Itatchi's genjutsu got me when my guard was down. Tsunade was just filling me in on what happened with you and Naruto when you went with Jiraiya to get her."

Nodding, she kept her face impassive as she addressed Tsunade. And as she looked at the two of them, she suddenly was suspicious of Kakashi-sensei. She wondered what Tsunade told him and when he thought of it. Was he against her too? Was he also behind the massacre of her beloved Clan? With this sudden realization, she quickly told Kakashi-sensei that she would be back tomorrow; she saw that he was busy and wanted to visit Sasuke.

"Sasuke's awake, you know!" Tsunade called after her just before she closed the door.

She smirked slightly to herself. At least she had one person who she could trust…

_Sasuke… I've finally made my decision. With this sudden realization of betrayal, I've decided that I'm going to go to Orochimaru. You better come with me, because you might just be being betrayed as well, just unknown to you._


	29. Chapter 29

Author-chan: I know the two are extremely OOC sometimes, but I felt that it was cute when I did it. Anyways, I suppose they would have to be considering Mizuki's a rollercoaster of a person haha

Naruto: DON'T APOLOGIZE AUTHOR-CHAN! A OOC STORY IS WHAT YOU WERE GOING AFTER WHEN YOU STARTED WRITING THIS STORY WHEN YOU HAD NO WRITING TALENT AT ALL!.. Uh, I mean… heh heh

Author-chan: That was almost sweet Naruto, almost… but anyways, since I wrote this when I was like 11 and couldn't bear to change it, I'm thinking of writing an actual realistic Naruto story, haha ^^ Who should it be about? Leave a review or PM me and tell me and I just might choose the person!... Or people! (yes that means cannon pairings)

Chapter 29: Sasuke's Agreement

Mizuki walked calmly to Sasuke's room, though on the inside she was excited. She wanted to see him and tell him all she knew so that he would understand that they weren't even needed in Konoha. They were just being caged. As she put her hand on his doorknob, she heard something crash to the floor. Shocked, she threw open the door to see what was wrong.

"Sasuke wha-" she began, stopping when she actually saw and could make out what happened.

Sasuke lay on the ground, eyes narrowed as he grunted in pain. He looked irritated, but more alive than she would have expected him to look. Best of all, like Kakashi-sensei, he was free indeed of Itachi's Tsukiyomi. His gaze had snapped up to her when she walked in, and for some reason it looked like he was in pain when he looked at her. Cocking her head to the side, she walked over to his bed and sat down.

"What's going on here?" she asked.

"Fell off the stupid bed." He simply replied wincing as he tried to get up.

Quickly going to help him, she wrapped her arms around him and lifted him up similar to how she lifted Lee, though he helped her lift himself up. Placing him on the bed, she resumed sitting on it herself, looking at him like she hadn't seen him in years.

"So, are you alright? It must have been horrible to be under Itachi's genjutsu for as long as you were."Nodding Sasuke sighed and leaned against the headboard, eyes up to the ceiling. He looked a little out of it, but it was to be expected. Overwhelmed by sudden emotion like she was with Naruto a while back, she wrapped her arms around him and brought her to him, embracing him tightly. "I'm glad you're still in one piece…"

All of a sudden, she felt Sasuke shaking, making her look at his face to see his problem. She waited to see his change in facial expression as he stared at her. His hand came up from his side and he placed it on her cheek, so delicately like she would flake away or something.

"Mizuki… I not only experienced my Clans death, but Naruto, Sakura… and your death. Repeatedly." He murmured, eyes unreadable.

"Sas-"

Mizuki was cut off by pulling her close to him again, his eyes strangely blank. This is how she knew that he wasn't all there at the moment. That didn't matter, though. She was touched by his sudden feelings no matter what state he was in.

"Sasuke…" she whispered, "I need to talk to you again. When can you get out of the hospital?"

She didn't like how she was feeling right now, so she wanted to quickly change the subject and get him to snap out of his sudden affectionate state. Shaking his head, he seemed to shake off some of his feelings and nodded.

"I can leave. Let's go."

Getting up, he went into the bathroom and came out minutes later in his ninja attire. He looked a little better so she smirked and he returned it. They both then went out the door and soon out of the hospital, glad to be out of the place. It became evident to Mizuki that she was there to often… It was a sign that she was still weak. Deciding that she wouldn't be weak for too long, she pushed the thought away and led Sasuke to the place he showed her when he took her to when she showed him her Clan.

Sitting with her legs over the edge of the cliff, she looked out across the village, sighing. She had come here not only to calm and clear her mind, but to tell Sasuke about her old friend, Kannon, and how she was definitely going to Orochimaru. It was definite, and she wasn't going to change her mind.

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?" he asked her, sitting next to her and leaning his elbow on his knee, his chin resting on his palm.

Looking at him for a moment, Mizuki sighed and then broke out into what she wanted to tell him. She didn't want to see his reaction, so she looked anywhere else, her eyes revealing nothing as she spoke about Kannon. She wouldn't even express any emotion to Sasuke about his because she was scared to. This was down to the root of her depression and she didn't know if she could stop herself if she cried.

"-And that's why I want to go to Orochimaru. You don't have to say yes, but I really need this, and I would like you to be there, Sasuke." She finished, her blue eyes looking into his onyx ones for any sign of agreement.

"I don't really know what to say, Mizuki. I think I'll go with you, though. Just give it a bit of time, we'll know when the time is right.

Nodding, Mizuki draped her arm over his shoulder, bringing him in and ruffling his hair. "Good."

"What the heck, Mizuki? That was so unlike you." Irritably, he leaned back a little bit, fixing his duckbutt-shaped hair and rolling his eyes.

"Whatever. Let's train. Did I tell you that my Kunioki State is messing up?"

Activating her Molani while he activated his Sharingan, she took his outstretched hand and allowed him to pull her up from the ground. They faced each other, the rays of the setting sun lighting up their black hair and showing hints of mischievousness in their eyes. They both disappeared from their spots and then came at each other with kunai, the metal clashing with a clank and sending sparks everywhere.

Mizuki lost the battle of strength and was forced to do a back flip to avoid his next attack, rolling on the ground and jumping back up in a matter of seconds. Once she was up at her feet she saw Sasuke's fireballs coming at her and she quickly retaliated by doing her own jutsu, building an earth barrier up around her to save her from the oncoming heat.

Once the onslaught of fireballs had stopped, she kicked at her earth barrier until all the chunks of it had been chucked at Sasuke. Expertly, he weaved around them, smirking because his Sharingan was able to help him sense her next move. That move was to come from the ground and try to grab his foot. He quickly grabbed her outstretched hand and pulled her out of the ground by sending some of his chakra into it and tried to slam her on the ground, only for it to be a clone.

The real Mizuki then aimed for him but he quickly grabbed her kunai and tore it out of her grasp, shocking her. He chuckled and slashed at her, making her have to jump backwards for his next few swiped. Ducking, she leaped at him, barreling him over. They rolled in the ground in a fight for dominance, Sasuke ending up on top. Both of them didn't stop to think of how it must have looked and quickly went back to wrestling, taking out another kunai each and jumping up.

Mizuki was glad to get her blood pumping again and threw her kunai at him, wanting to do some taijutsu. He caught on quickly and deactivated his Sharingan, having learned from fighting Lee that he should learn to be without his power. Mizuki did the same and sent a punch at him which he blocked. He tried to kick at her but she ducked under it and tried to sweep his legs from under him. He quickly jumped and landed away from her going back at her with a barrage of punches, kicks, jabs and other attacks.

Mizuki, enjoying the fight with someone equal to her changed the fight to ninjutsu, sending water spikes at him. Sasuke didn't have enough time to dodge and was tacked to the tree by her spikes. Breathing heavily, Mizuki chuckled and walked slowly over to him, holding up a spike and placing it to his neck.

"Hmm… Did Sasuke-kun lose? What a shame."

Surprisingly, since she let down her guard, she was slammed against the tree next to… clone Sasuke? Glaring at him, she saw that indeed he had tricked her into thinking that she had tacked him to the tree.

"Lose, eh? No, I think I just won."

Sasuke's cocky voice annoyed her but she already lost since he was holding a kunai to her neck, pressing the cold metal against her warm skin. They both breathed heavily, almost close enough for their bangs to touch. His arm was beside her face due to the fact that he had placed his hand beside it to rest and catch his breath. His minty breath hit her cheek, and for a moment she didn't even think about it in a different way.

"Fine, Uchiha. You win." She said reluctantly.

"Uchiha, huh? I'm degraded to last name basis again, eh, Gesshu?"

Rolling her eyes, she caught her breath and looked into his eyes, seeing how much he had seemed to grow up. She remembered how reckless he was before but now… He was at least a little bit more mature and not to mention he had gotten a lot smarter and in tune with his surroundings. He simply stared back at her, seemingly lost in thought. Wondering what he was thinking, a question on it laid on her lips and they were forming the words.

"I'll go with you to Orochimaru, Mizuki." He whispered, not allowing her to speak

It was so out of the blue, but he cupped her cheek like he had done before and slammed his lips on hers, his eyes closed now. Her eyes widened and she looked down at their connected lips the best that she could. Not knowing how to react, her eyes closed and everything seemed to fall into place. She wanted this, she realized. She wanted him to kiss her. Her arms came up from her sides and she placed them on his chest, feeling how toned he was with a different mindset.

They stayed like that for a while, just close together with their lips pressed against each other until breath made them part. Sasuke didn't know what to say, nor did Mizuki, so they simply stared at each other in awe. Next thing they knew, they were connected again, closer this time. Sasuke's other hand moved from her cheek to her mid-back, pulling her to him while her arms went up around his neck so they wouldn't be crushed. Her mind was completely blank, but she knew that she could stop it if she had wanted to. The next time they parted they didn't kiss again; they merely pressed their foreheads together until they caught their breath. Then, Sasuke moved away, realization showing in his features.

"Um… wow." Mizuki finally whispered.

"Did that really just happen?" Sasuke asked after a while, more to himself.

Mizuki nodded though, to confirm her own thoughts.

"What does this mean?" Sasuke asked her.

"What do you want it to mean?"

"I don't know…"

"Well them, I suppose nothing…"

They seemed to have an unspoken agreement, but the thought of what happened made things feel slightly awkward. The thought of Naruto suddenly made Mizuki red. Why was she feeling guilty about kissing Sasuke? It was nothing… Naruto didn't even like her anyways. Neither did Sasuke. He was just out of it and did an irrational act.

* * *

><p>The moon was full tonight, Mizuki realized as she sat out on her rooftop, her fingers in her lips. She could still feel the warmth of Sasuke's on hers, and she kind of wanted to feel that sensation again. <em>No, no no no! What is this? I'm not supposed to feel this way, not even for Sasuke! I need to be focused on training <em>_**only! **__No stupid girly things! Why am I not emotionless like that thing promised me!_

"You seem confused."

Looking up sharply, Mizuki grinned.

"Kannon-kun!" she whispered, getting up to her feet and leaping in his open arms.

"Hey, Mizu-chan. Wanna tell me what's up?"

Surprised that he was actually here, she quickly sat him down next to where she was sitting and sat back down, sitting beside him. It didn't even occur to her to check and if he was the real thing. Like a therapy session, she told him everything, looking down at her hands.

"Oh, and what are you doing here?" she asked him, looking up at him.

He put his arm around her and turned her to look at him, smiling gently. "I came to tell you that I'm going to take you with me. I thought about it and decided that I can't last without you after I saw you before."

Lightbulb.

Mizuki looked up at him with eyes narrowed. Kannon wasn't like that. Once he said he was doing something he didn't suddenly change his mind! How could she have been so stupid as to not check him! This was what she was talking about! All these emotions made her vulnerable and weak!

"You're not Kannon-kun."

"Smart one, aren't you?" Kannon said, his voice becoming deeper and thick with malice.

Caught off guard, Mizuki started to stumble backwards. Whoever it was smirked, the arms around her began to tighten and elongate, wrapping around her whole body. Eyes squinting, she winced and struggled to get out, unable to. Her arms and legs were restricted, as well as her mouth being covered.

"I may not be him, but I do know where he is, and let's just say that he's not there by his own will."

Releasing her momentarily, she growled out, "Where is Kannon-kun? What did you do to him?"

Smirking, the imposter turned her around and pulled her back so that her back was facing him. Then, he put his lips to her ear and chuckled. "Don't worry, he's alive, for now. I just wanted to warn you that not everyone can be trusted. How can you be sure that he wasn't lying to you? How can you be certain that that was even _him?_ I could have gone through his mind and got all the thoughts I needed to trick you into believing that I was him."

Eyes widening, Mizuki began to shake. It was all too true. Flashes of Ibiki going through her mind to get what he wanted about her clan made her shiver. No, they needed to get that information and her body wouldn't let her remember. But they made her remember, oh god and so could this man, woman or whatever! Hyperventilating, she stared blankly ahead, feeling really stupid for believing him without being thorough in her questions. How could she have been so _naïve_?

"That's right, you understand now? Foolish child. Now, if you tell anyone, I will know, and I will kill him and make sure that you figure out. Got that?"

His hot breath against her ear made her shiver in fear, degraded to a puddle of hopelessness. Nodding, she bit her bottom lip, wishing that she had been smarter. Of course it was too good to be true. Of course he hadn't been able to get to her.

"Wait, is what he said to me true?" she asked in a strangely weak voice, limp in the man's strong grasp.

"That part was true, don't worry. I did come to you for some sort of purpose, not just to make you weak like you are now.' The man taunted, squeezing her tighter.

Grunting in pain, she lowered her head, her bangs covering her eyes.

"That's right, now I have to go. Just one thing that I came here to tell you."

He leaned even closer, allowing her to be able to see his face as his horrible voice spoke into her words that seemed to break her confidence.

"You are never alone, and now that I have something to break you with, you'd better be a good girl."

And then, something hard hit her head, knocking her unconscious.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Forshadowing

_Mizuki lay in a field, Sasuke sitting beside her. Her face was turned towards the sky, enjoying the warm rays of sun that filtered in from the spaces in between the trees. Closing her eyes momentarily, she allowed herself to feel peace. Peace and relaxation. __**If only I could have the time to do this and feel this way more often,**__ she thought, hearing Chieko's high pitched giggle. She turned to face Sasuke, her eyes opening to look at him. She was pleasantly surprised to see that he was doing the same, the same relaxed expression on his smooth and flawless face._

_He smiled warmly at her, shocking her, and brought up a pale but warm hand, brushing her bangs out of her face and pressing his hand against her now red cheek. Leaning on an elbow now, his onyx hair tumbled down his neck and hung suspended in the air, almost touching Mizuki's hair which pooled out around her. Her blue eyes stared entranced into his own, smiling softly. He truly was a handsome boy…_

_Even closer now, Sasuke started to lean closer, his eyes closing. Mizuki allowed him to get closer and closer and closer until his other hand that wasn't holding him up slid from her cheek to her shoulders, keeping it there as his lips connected to hers. She felt a jolt of excitement course through her veins at the familiar touch, lacing her fingers in his hair and blushing even more. Just the thought of what she was doing made her shiver – but in a good way._

_Sasuke pulled away and chuckled slightly, moving them to sit up. As soon as she looked forwards, she was shocked to see Naruto standing at the edge of the clearing, eyes wide and filled with hurt. __**But why?**__ She thought. Although she wondered this, she felt extremely guilty. As if… As if it was a crime to kiss Sasuke like she did. Jumping to her feet, she almost forgot Sasuke as she looked at Naruto with wide eyes._

"_Naruto, I-"_

"_Just, whatever." He said, extremely out of character._

_His hyper, loud voice was merely a hollow sounding abyss of nothingness, making a quiver of shock go down Mizuki's spine, completely unlike how she felt with Sasuke. He turned and ran, making Mizuki immediately run after him. She heard Sasuke call her but put it behind her, catching up with Naruto when she saw he was perched on a tree, seemingly sulking._

_She jumped up on a tree and flipped to the next branch, jumping down to sit where the branch met the core of the tree. Naruto hmphed and turned the other way, glaring at nothing. Legs dangling over the sides, Mizuki touched his shoulder and turned him to look at him._

"_What's wrong, Naruto? All we did was kiss, you know." She told him, looking down at her legs._

_Naruto sighed and dug his nails into the bark. "Well, whatever. I don't care."_

_Was he… Pouting? Blushing at how cute he looked, Mizuki smiled and leaned sideways as if she were going to fall off of the tree to see him better. He glanced at her and then blushed, looking away again. That's when she heard him mumble something. Nani? She thought, wondering what he had just said._

"_What?"_

"_I said… I…you"_

"_Whaaaat?" she asked, a little annoyed._

"_I said I LIKE you!"_

_And then he turned and slammed his lips on hers, his warm lips meeting hers in a desperate attempt to prove himself. He quickly and slightly aggressively pushed her against the tree and put his hands on either side of her, his lack of knowledge about this area showing. Her did as well, since she didn't know how to react since he went into the kiss so fast. Shocked, she was just about to react when he pulled away._

"_There, now you have to choose."_

"_Choose? Choose what?" Confused, she cocked her head to the side, light-headed. Two kisses in less than 10 minutes? Anyone as inexperienced as her should feel a little overwhelmed._

"_Choose between me and Sasuke!"_

_Eyes widening, she leaned backwards. __**Choose… Between them… How could I do that? Their like opposites… Naruto is like fire while Sasuke is like water, which is strange because Sasuke uses fire jutsus while Naruto has wind chakra…**_

"_I-I-"_

"_Choose, Mizuki!" Naruto bellowed, glaring at her._

"_Choose!" Sasuke suddenly said, appearing from nowhere._

"_Mizuki!_

"_Mizuki!"_

"_Mizuki!"_

"_MIZUKI!"_

"MIZUKI WAKE UP!"

Gasping, Mizuki shot up, instantly regretting it. Her back was extremely sore and she had a pounding headache. Groggily, she groaned and placed a hand on her forehead, wondering where she was and what was going on. Squinting, she saw Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi-sensei standing there, concern on their faces. It wasn't like her to fall asleep on the roof. She always would go back in to her room and either sleep or get ready for the day.

"What's going on? Why am I on the roof of my apartment complex?" she asked, just as confused as they were.

"I don't know, maybe you fell asleep? Duh." Sakura said, rolling her green eyes and flicking her short bubblegum pink hair behind her shoulder snootily.

She glanced at Naruto and Sasuke, glad to see them acting like their normal selves. Sasuke's eyes were impassive and blank while he looked down at her in concern, not showing any awkwardness from the day before. Naruto kept fiddling with his headband as usual, smiling cheesily, obviously oblivious to the concern the other's shared. He just wanted to get her up.

Sighing, she stood up, glaring at Sakura to show that she had not liked her comment. Twisting her body and rolling her neck, she tried to remember exactly what happened last night. She remembered the worst parts primarily, but it took a couple of staring-blankly-ahead seconds to remember. Her eyes got considerably darker as her posture slowly crumpled. Putting it off as being tired, she forced herself to look normal and got back into her normal self, looking up at them.

"So, what brings you here anyways?" she asked.

"There's a mission that Team 7 is needed to do…" Kakashi-sensei started.

"But you're not coming. We wanted to tell you that Lady Tsunade wants to see you." Sasuke said, boredly looking out across the rooftops.

Wondering if he actually didn't care, Mizuki's eyes narrowed. This didn't sound good to her, and she wanted to know why she wasn't able to go on a mission with her team.

"I'll go to her office later today. How _dare_ she deny me to go on this mission? We're a team." She hissed, ager rolling off of her in waves.

What… Was she too _weak_ for the mission? She was way better than Sakura and Naruto combined! Pausing for a moment, though, Mizuki thought about last night, having second thoughts on that statement.

"_How can you be sure that he wasn't lying to you? How can you be certain that that was even __**him**__? I could have gone through his mind and got all the thoughts I needed to trick you into believing that I was him."_

_That's right… I wasn't able to know if it was really even Kannon-kun or not. I was so __**stupid**__! Maybe I really am not good for another mission._

_**Something's not right here, **_Chieko suddenly said, _**I'm starting to get a really bad feeling, not to mention that I feel restless.**_

Just then, Mizuki was his with a wave of bloodlust, a red tint appearing around her vision. _Is this your bloodlust? I haven't seen this before. But what could be wrong?_

_**I don't know. But you haven't seen my bloodlust because of this stupid seal they put on you. I would be able to take control and do what I pleased if it wasn't there… Stupid kuniochi…**_

Mizuki knew that she wasn't talking about her so she just sighed and tried not to focus on the sudden smell of her teammates blood. Also, a soothing voice had started to talk in her mind, trying to coax her into killing them and drinking their blood. _I'm not a vampire, Chieko, stop trying to make me one._ She told the demon irritably, not realizing that she had freaked her team out by standing there for a couple of minutes, eyes blank.

"HEY, MIZUKI! STOP IGNORING US!" Naruto bellowed, right by her ear.

Jumping slightly, she slammed her hand to her ear, a ringing noise making her wince. Glaring at him, she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Whatever. So when are you guys going?" she asked Sasuke.

"Now."

"You should probably get to the Hokage's office if you want to talk to her. They need to be heading out soon."

"They?... As in, you're not going?" Mizuki asked suddenly, raising an eyebrow.

He nodded, scratching the back of his neck nervously. "I'm needed on some other missions, since we're running low of Jounins that can do the job. "

"Well, let's pay the 'Tsunade-sama' a visit, shall we?" she said coldly, jumping off without stopping to see if they were following.

* * *

><p>"Why can't I go on the mission?" Mizuki said eerily calm as she stood in front of the Hokage.<p>

Kakashi sat in a chair, reading his book while Naruto stood next to him, obviously bored. Sasuke was leaning against the wall, looking rather irritated as Sakura tried to talk to him about something that she knew he wasn't interested in. Tsunade leaned forwards in her seat, resting her palm on her cheek.

"Ah, Mizuki. I was expecting you." She simply said, smiling.

Irked that she had avoided her question she walked forwards a little more, anger once again rolling off of her in waves. Unfortunately, Chieko's blood lust was getting to her. The veins on the blond-haired Hokage's neck were quite appealing, and it was all she could do to not pounce like the vampire she felt like she would look like.

"Answer me! Don't try to avoid the question!"

Sighing, Tsunade laughed and then gestured to Shizune to get something for her. Quickly, the black haired female walked over to some storage compartment, pulling out something before Mizuki's attention was diverted. A knock on the door had made her turn her head around to look at it. After Tsunade granted said person entrance, the door slowly opened to reveal Shikamaru and Asuma-sensei.

"What a drag, making me come all the way here. There was something you wanted to see me about?" Shikamaru drawled, walking until he was right beside Mizuki, but a few feet away.

"Just in time, Shikamaru, Asuma. Shizune, get another." Tsunade said, grinning.

"One of what?" Shikamaru asked Mizuki.

She simply shrugged, but then her eyes widened when she looked at what Shizune was holding. Two green Chuunin vests.

"That is-"

"Two Chuunin vests. Nara Shikamaru, Gesshu Mizuki, for you outstading work in the Chuunin Exams, you two have been promoted."

Mizuki didn't know how to feel, but her face didn't show the dilemma it had caused in her mind.

_Chuunin…. I've been promoted to Chuunin! But… What happens when I leave Konoha? I should refuse… But I can't it's impossible. Plus, it'll make everyone suspicouus._

"Ah man, what a drag! Does that mean that I'll have to do more work?" Complaining, Shikamaru sighed and took his jacked from Shizune.

Mizuki quickly did the same, not saying anything. She looked down at it, rubbing her fingers over the flak jacket. She opened her mouth to say something but then thought otherwise, shutting up.

"So what does this have to do with me not going on the mission?" she asked curiously.

_Does this really make a difference?_

"Well, technically you are not a part of Team Kakashi anymore, but you will continue to go on missions with them until we give you a mission saying otherwise, or you choose not to. Same goes for you, Shikamaru. Actually, I have a mission for you both. It's a C ranked mis-"

"WOAH, A C RANKED MISSION ALREADY? SHOULDN'T YOU WAIT OR SOMEHTING?" Naruto, who had been frighteningly quiet yelled, making Sakura yell at him and hit him on the head.

Just then, she was able to take in their reactions. Kakashi-sensei only showed pride as he smiled at her with his eye, Naruto was in awe and was there a hint of jealousy? Nah, he was too thick-headed to be jealous of her. Sasuke… Well, Sasuke wasn't really giving anything away, but she knew that he would be either irritated what he wasn't promoted or just neutral about it.

"What is this mission?" she asked.

"Well, I'll need to tell you along with Hinata what it is, so let me call Hinata now."

_Oh crap… Not Hinata! This is going to be horrible!_

_**Don't you ever think that you should talk to her? It wouldn't be bad to, you know. She was your best friend. I would know, since you made me protect her all of the time, when you yourself couldn't.**_

_Whatever… I don't want to talk to her. I don't have to provide any reasons._

_**Yeah, yeah. Something just tells me that something bad is going to happen and you're going to wish you went a different route.**_


	31. Chapter 31

Author-chan: Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, and rather unsatisfying chapter ^^'' I've had a lot going on these past few weeks. Review, please! :D

Chapter 31: 1st Chuunin Mission

_There she is, standing right beside me._

It was true. Hyuuga Hinata was standing there right beside Mizuki, looking at Tsunade to try and get filled in on the mission the two Chuunin had only vaguely been told about. Mizuki looked at Shikamaru out of the corner of her eye, sighing. She noticed his new green vest and then absentmindedly lowered her hand to touch her own vest. It was strange to actually be a Chuunin now. It felt like she should be more excited, but she wouldn't be one for long so who cared? She listened to the important parts of what her Hokage was saying, but the other stuff she pretty much blocked out and got distracted.

She was brought calmly out of her thoughts when Tsunade said her name, her body and mind automatically coming to attention. She seemed pleased, so the blond-haired woman turned her attention to all of them and not just her.

"Alright, since you all know what you're doing, I want you to go as soon as possible. Remember, you've got to protect Hinata-chan. If anyone finds out what she's capable of and what she's coming to do, they will not be pleased. You could be facing a lot of angry ninja, and that's why this is a B-ranked mission."

Shikamaru coughed suddenly, taken off guard. Mizuki, more collected, only let her eyes widen, wondering why she had lied to Naruto and the others. She noticed Hinata shaking and resisted the urge to place her arm around her, like she did when they were little. It surprised her how much she still wanted to be around her friend, but it wasn't too much of a surprise. She never really got rid of her feelings, she just avoided them.

"W-What? You just told us that it would be a C-ranked mission!" Shikamaru busted out, angry that he had previously thought it wouldn't be too hard.

"Yes, for Mizuki's team's sake. It really isn't good to sugar coat things for others, but they couldn't know what she was going on, just in case they are taken hostage. We have to think of every possibility, you know"

Nodding in understanding, Mizuki sighed and tilted her head slightly, wondering if she could really be comfortable on this mission. With Hinata… Ugh, it was irritating that Hinata was going to be the downfall of her concentration on the mission and the stutter girl most likely didn't even know it.

"Now that I think about it, it's good that you did that," Shikamaru soon said, sighing, "Naruto's reaction would be such a drag."

Mizuki agreed.

Considering how he reacted to Sasuke beating him, Shikamaru the lazy person and Mizuki being ahead of him that much would make him even more irritated. Not to mention that a Genin – Hinata of all people, not Neji – was going on a B-ranked mission knowingly and he couldn't come.

"U-u-um, I s-still think that w-w-we should have t-told N-Naruto-kun." Hinata whispered, shaking.

Mizuki's head nearly snapped towards Hinata, something bubbling up within her. Was it… Anger? No. She had no reason to feel anger towards the girl so suddenly. So what was it? Staring at Hinata with an unreadable expression, she noticed that Shikamaru and Tsunade's gaze were on her as well. They seemed to know something that she didn't! That thought made her actually angry, though that other feeling was still there.

_**Isn't it obvious what you're feeling?**_

_What? _Questioned Mizuki, wondering what Cheiko meant, _Why would it be obvious?_

_**You're surprisingly thick. **_Cheiko noted with a hint of amusement, making Mizuki mentally glare at the demon.

_If it's so obvious, why don't you tell me what I'm feeling?_

_**Nah, it's more fun to watch you try and figure it out yourself!**_

Frustrated, Mizuki tuned out Cheiko's laughter and focused back in, realizing that she had missed something Shikamaru had said to Hinata. Hinata nodded her head and then lowered it, blushing and doing something with her hands, showing that she was nervous. Mizuki noted that that hadn't changed about her – the hand movement, that is.

"Anyways, you'd better get going. You don't know what could be going on while you're dawdling like this." Tsunade said.

"Yes, Tsunade-sama." They chorused, simultaneously leaving the office.

Mizuki was relieved when they were out in fresh air again, wishing that the people that were with her were her actual team, though she didn't mind Shikamaru too much.

"Let's meet by the village gates in twenty minutes. Pack fast, pack light. This better not be too troublesome… But just in case we shouldn't carry heavy things, or they'll hinder how fast we're able to travel." Shikamaru drawled, yawning and looking outright bored.

Nodding, Mizuki left without a word, glancing at Hinata momentarily to see that she was doing the same thing. Then, she was gone.

Hinata's P.O.V.

Hinata watched as a very big part of her childhood left, making her shiver as their eyes met. This girl was definitely not as she had remembered. The Mizuki she knew was kind and sweet, filled with life. The Mizuki she knew would always smile through the pain, though all she did now was maintain the horrors of life inside her own body, thus hurting herself more. There was no outlet to the pain she knew she held inside. Those blue eyes never sparkled, but pierced through her soul, as if blaming her for the pain that she was going through all by herself.

"You should go already, Hinata. Don't want to be late and anger her. I heard she gets angry really fast, but isn't loud about it like my mom. Maybe that's worse… the troublesome woman."

With that, Shikamaru disappeared, leaving Hinata to jump off to her house. When she reached the familiar place she called home, she walked in to see her father sitting in his normal seat, his cold gaze coming up to meet hers when she closed the door.

"What did the Hokage want?" he asked, his voice similar to Mizuki's, if not colder.

Shivering once again in fear, Hinata lowered her head. "I-I'm going o-on a B-ranked m-mission." She whispered.

"B-ranked? Hmm. They should have chosen Neji, not you. Anything you can do he can do better… I wonder why they chose you. Maybe you're actually showing some promise? No matter, if you're leaving now then get out of my sight and get your things. Be punctual and you'd better represent the Hyuga Chan well."

Bowing low, Hinata murmured a few words of understanding and then ran to her room, packing light like Shikamaru had advised. She quickly added an extra pack of kunai and shuriken, just in case anything happened. She then turned and ran out of the door, her hand on the door to the outside world when her father's voice stopped her.

"Who are you going on this mission with?" he asked, most likely so that if she died he would know who to kill or attack or whatever.

Crap.

When her father figured out that she was going with the little girl that he had looked down on all the time, he would probably be pissed. But it would be better not to lie to him, that would make him even more angry.

"N-Nara Shikamaru."

"And?"

"M-Mizuki…"

She could tell his gaze hardened, lines of disgust coming across his face.

"Gesshu Mizuki?" he asked her, his voice disturbingly quiet.

"Y-Yes." She mumbled, almost inaudible.

"Speak up!" he suddenly yelled, anger bubbling to the surface of his voice and lashing at her in a whip of forbidding abuse.

"Yes!" she said as loud as she dared, squeezing her eyes shut.

"That damned demon brat? You better stay away from you, or they'll be hell to pay. I don't want you tinting out name with someone as disgusting and filthy as her! Go."

Biting back a harsh response she knew would never leave her lips, she nodded and bowed again.

"Hai, Otou-sama."

Turning, she quickly rushed out of the house, closing the door softly though she was in a haste. She jumped from the ground and chakra jumped to the village gates, sighing when she realized that she had at least came before Shikamaru.

Mizuki was leaning against a tree, eyes closed in what seemed like a patience holder. Was she irritated already? It was only fifteen minutes since they had separated, she shouldn't be mad when time wasn't up yet. Shrugging it off, she awkwardly stood a ways away from Mizuki, looking down at the ground and twiddling her thumbs.

After a long and tense silence, Shikamaru appeared, a little late. Relieved, Hinata pushed off of the tree she was leaning on, picking up her bag. Mizuki peaked open an eye and then did the same, wordlessly walking towards the gate.

"I have a feeling that this will be a trip to remember." Shikamaru muttered, sighing like it was the worst thing in the world.

* * *

><p>Mizuki's P.O.V.<p>

This was absolute hell.

She couldn't stand the silence; the only sound was the nature around them and the sound of their feet as it met with the tree, wind rustling in their ears when they pushed off of the thick branches. Mizuki jumped through the trees irritably, her hair put in a bun a long time ago so that the ponytail wouldn't smack her face. She couldn't even imagine how annoying it would be if she didn't have it in a ponytail at least. Her hair would be everywhere, since it was so long.

One would think that she would just cut it off like many ninja do to ensure that nothing gets in their way. But Mizuki had a special attachment to her hair, one that was brought upon by her mother. Her hair was at her shoulders when she was little, and her mother would always brush it and make sure that it was healthy so it could become long, like hers. For some reason, her mother just loved long hair. It wasn't that she didn't like her hair style when it was short… it was just that her mother never wanted her to cut her hair. Even though it was now starting to grow longer and go farther down her back, she would never cut it, so long as she had even the smallest choice.

Sighing, Mizuki wished that she was somewhere else. She was staying close behind Shikamaru but still reluctantly close to Hinata, something she really didn't like. However, she didn't really have a choice in the matter but to do that; it was their mission. Hinata had a job to do as well as she and Shikamaru did. If anything happened to her, Hinata's father - as well as the Hokage - would never let them hear the end of it. She still shivered at the thought of Hinata's father. He was cruel to her and harsh. She didn't want to even think about what he would do to her if she let Hinata get hurt… Or worse, die.

She couldn't believe that she was stuck in this situation. At a time like this, she felt like she was Shikamaru himself, thinking everything was troublesome.

_Anyways, shouldn't we stop soon? It's getting dark and it would be better to travel only in the morning. It's easier to watch out for enemies that way_. She thought, thinking about what Iruka-sensei taught them about watching out for enemies and surprise attacks for ninja's on missions. The last thing they needed was to be jumped by rouge ninja.

Not that they couldn't take them down.

With Shikamaru's brains, Mizuki's power, and Hinata's technique, it wouldn't be too much of a problem, as long as their enemies weren't too powerful. It would also be good if they were underestimated and a small number of ninja attacked them.

"We'll make camp in another hour or so, so let's speed up our pace for the last stretch." Shikamaru stated, shaking Mizuki out of her thoughts and voicing Mizuki's thoughts at the same time.

It _was_ getting dark; the sun was dipping behind the mountains in front of them. It was about time the stopped or they would end up with no daylight left to check the area for enemies.

"Good idea. Let's stop at that place right there. It has bushes so that we can see out and still be protected, as well as it seems like a good place to not be seen." Mizuki voiced her thoughts, thoughtfully scanning the area for an alternative that was better. She found none.

"O-Okay, let's g-go." Hinata stuttered out, and they suddenly jumped down to the place Mizuki suggested.

It was better than she had previously thought, fortunately.

It more than hid and protected them, as soon as they dropped down Mizuki whipped out a kunai and killed the three animals that were there; rabbits. She felt nothing for killing such innocent looking creatures, but it seemed like Hinata felt differently. No matter, she was going to eat it so why bother sympathizing for her sadness about dead rabbits?

They cooked the three animals a ways away from camp, so as to not draw larger animals and ninja towards their sleeping space. They ate there as well, their clones leaving a false trail of where they were to be going just in case they were being followed. Once they had scanned the area with Hinata's Byakugan for enemies, they settled down to go to sleep, wondering what laid before them in their mission that had just begun.


	32. Announcement

Hey guys! Sadly, I'm going have to put a hold on my writing :\ As you probably have noticed, I've been getting slower with the replies, and that's because of ending exams. At my school we have two exams for each period, getting everything we've learned to the last detail -.- Because of that, I've been studying my tired little butt off and haven't had time to get this, let alone enough muse to write like I used to. Don't worry though! I'll be back probably the 18, and I'll get right back to weekend replies ^^ Hopefully I'll only have this one huge book to read for English and all of my other teachers will go easy on us and let us enjoy our break, not stress over doing work nonstop the whole way though haha.

Anyways, don't give up hope on me! I'm haven't kicked the bucket on this story yet!


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